Road to Deception
by the rotten1
Summary: After Gojyo loses his job, Hakkai decides to sell his body. But is he really doing it just so the group can eat, or is he getting sick of Gojyo's endless flirting with the ladies? Pairings: 58, 38.
1. Chapter 1 Betrayal

**Betrayal**

Gojyo and Goku sat on the floor of the last inn they could afford to stay at, exchanging doleful glances with each other while playing a game of cards. They had already paid for the room they were staying in a day in advance, but there wasn't any money left. Sanzo had been gone for six and a half days, and they both had lost the part-time jobs they had taken. Goku's stomach growled, but he'd already complained about being hungry so many times since raiding the cafeteria's kitchen the other day that he was actually getting tired of saying it.

"When do you think Hakkai will be back from his walk?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"'Cause you're the reason he left, you pervy kappa!"

"You were the first one to get fired, ya stupid monkey!" Gojyo yelled, jumping out of the chair to shove his hand over Goku's face.

Goku tried to push him off while saying, "I'm not a monkey! Stop calling me that!"

Then they heard the sound of the door as it opened and shut, and Hakkai walked right past them as though he hadn't even seen them. He walked right up to their bag of supplies and started rummaging around in their limited provisions.

"Hey, Hakkai...." Gojyo called, watching as the brunet pulled a cloak out of their bag. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I've spoken with the working women in this town, and they say that there's a lot of business on a cold night like this. Since they all seem to be of their apparent gender, I probably won't have much competition."

_Wait... _Gojyo thought, _you're not really gonna sell your body... _"Yer shittin' me."

"I'm afraid I am in earnest," Hakkai replied, with one of his brightest phony smiles.

"Don't do it!" Goku said, as he got up out of his chair and walked over to look Hakkai in the face. "I... I'm not hungry."

Hakkai smiled and patted Goku gently on the head. "I appreciate your concern. However, I am hungry... and I'm sure that Gojyo is hungry too, aren't you Gojyo?"

"I fuckin' lost my appetite."

"I'll do it for myself then," Hakkai replied, slipping the cloak over his head and walking toward the door.

"Hakkai, don't!" Goku said, blocking his path. "I mean it! If it means doing something like that... then I won't eat ever again, I swear!"

"You don't understand. Even if you didn't eat, Gojyo and I would eventually die without food. Then there's the matter of having a place to stay tomorrow night...."

"But, Hakkai!"

"Get out of the way, Goku," Gojyo said, walking over to grab him and pull him to the side. "Let that crazy bastard do what he wants."

"No! Stop! Let go of me!" Goku cried, frantically squirming in an effort to break Gojyo's hold on his hair.

"Depending on how long it takes to find someone who's interested, I'll be back sometime later tonight," Hakkai stated, opening the door.

"Let go a' me!! LET GO!!"

"Oh... and if I'm not back before morning comes, please be kind enough to check the back streets and alleys for my defiled corpse."

"Yeah, yeah... whatever," Gojyo replied.

"I said, GET YOUR HANDS OFF! You pervy kappa!" Goku yelled.

"Farewell," Hakkai said, firmly closing the door behind him. Gojyo finally relaxed the death grip he had on Goku's hair and arm, and the annoying monkey tumbled to the ground.

"I don't get it! Gojyo, why did you let him go?!"

"That guy's bluffin'. There's no way he's really gonna do that. He's just tryin' to make us feel guilty."

"Oh," Goku said, staring at the door as though the thought had never occurred to him. "...ya sure?"

*****

"Here's the second cloak I brought; make sure that it covers everything so he doesn't see you."

"Yeah."

"He'll probably be coming after me in about half an hour. When you see him coming, you should walk over and offer to buy me before he can get close."

"Right."

"We'll walk into the back of a dark alleyway, and then the "role-playing" can start. You should treat me with utmost disrespect. Talk to me lewdly and handle me as roughly as you like."

"We need a safe word."

"Yes, good point. If you do something I don't like then I'll say, "keep going". Is that alright?"

"Fine."

"Oh, and when he tries to interfere... let me handle him."

*****

Gojyo sat and waited at the table with the monkey for minutes on end. Somehow, those minutes seemed to stretch into hours. He wondered how long Hakkai was going to stay out there and wait for him to come after him. _Stubborn bastard, _Gojyo thought. _How was I supposed to know the sales girl was mackin' it with the manager? _Even though he tried to focus, he couldn't seem to pay attention to the cards in front of him. Goku was winning the game, he was so damned distracted. _That guy sure can hold a grudge. I bet he's not gonna come back until I go out and say somethin' to him anyway. _With a deep sigh, he dropped the cards on the table. "I fold. I'm gonna go find him."

"Good, I'm going too!"

"No, you're not. You're stayin' right here and gettin' some sleep!"

"But Gojyo!"

"No buts! This is between me and Hakkai, so be a good monkey and do as you're told."

"Stop callin' me a monkey!"

He walked out the door a few minutes later, with Goku all tucked in for the night. "It's a shame we've gotta use our last night at an inn like this," Gojyo muttered to himself. _I was really hopin' we could get it on after the monkey passed out for the night. _Then he realized that it was still possible, if he played his cards right. _Nothing quite like a little make-up sex. _He strolled confidently out into the night. After all, even when Hakkai was angry and vengeful, he couldn't resist the good ol' Gojyo charm. It was only a matter of time before he won him back over. Of course, he knew that he would probably have to listen to a long, boring lecture first. But if there was sex afterward, then it would totally be worth it. _You can nag me all you want Hakkai, as long as I get to play with that nice, thick cock again. _

At first glance, there didn't seem to be anybody near the inn, but he was familiar enough with the nature of the work to know which parts of town to search. He walked down toward the older, more unkempt areas of the town, and soon enough he saw women standing idly around the edges of the streets. Because it was cold outside, most of them wore a covering of some sort. They had on jackets, trench coats, and various kinds of cloaks. Every now and then one would let the folds of her garment swing open to reveal long, sexy legs, a trim, alluring belly, or firm, supple breasts. He singled out one buxom, long-legged hottie and walked casually over to flash his award-winning smile. "Hey, Gorgeous... you seen a really prudish looking guy walking around these parts wearing a monocle?"

"It's a real shame if you're only interested in men," she cooed with all the sensual subtlety of an experienced whore, walking up closer to toy gently with the zipper on his jacket. "Isn't there something else I can do for you instead?"

"Actually, I'm just lookin' for a pal of mine," Gojyo explained with a more genuine smile. "He's got it in his crazy head to play hooker-for-a-day. I'd be more than happy to come back and have fun once I've found him."

"I think I might have seen someone like that walking toward the red light district."

"I'm not real familiar with this town. Which way is that, Darlin'?" She pointed her finger across the road and down the street to a fork that turned off to the left. "Thanks Honey, I appreciate it," he replied with a quick wink before walking off in that direction. "You'll be here when I'm done, right?"

"I'll be waiting," she replied, with a false, saccharine smile that was all too familiar. Seeing that made Gojyo think, _I've really got to get Hakkai the hell out of here. _He hurried down the street and turned the corner, which led to a dark alleyway between several large buildings. _This is definitely the bad side of town. _At this point, Gojyo was really starting to get worried. Not that Hakkai couldn't take care of himself, but he had been badly injured those six days ago and he wasn't at his full strength. _What am I worried about? Even if Hakkai did run into trouble, he'd still be more than enough to handle any low-life patrolling these streets. _

Gojyo emerged from between the buildings and then finally spotted Hakkai. That thick shock of unkempt, dark chestnut hair poked out everywhere, and the glint of his monocle was shining out from beneath the hood of his cloak. Compared to all of the girls hanging around the edges of the street, he really stuck out. _...like a sore thumb... _Gojyo thought. _A smart guy like you should have the sense to realize that you don't belong in a place like this. _It was ridiculous really, even though he knew Hakkai was only doing it to guilt-trip him after losing his job. Of course, it probably didn't help that he'd done so by flirting with the sales girl either. _Jealous bastard. Why don't you just bitch about it like everyone else? _Then again, he already knew that Hakkai wasn't the type to do something like that.

_This is really sad... _Gojyo thought. _You could get any number of honest jobs... with your skills, you could do pretty much anything. _It was true. Not only could Hakkai cook, clean, and drive, but he also organized and managed everything that the group needed on their journey. _You could work for a restaurant, manage a hotel, be a delivery guy somewhere... _Really, it should've been easier for Hakkai to get a job than it was for either of the other two, if only he weren't still wounded. _…you'd probably make more money than anyone else, too. _But he knew it really wasn't about money; the only reason Hakkai was out here was for vengeance.

With a big smirk on his face, Gojyo strolled casually across the street, waiting for Hakkai to turn and look at him. He didn't see the shrouded figure marching grimly along the side of the road in Hakkai's direction. He barely even noticed as one of the harlots flirted with the shadowy man and he shoved her out of the way. The other person's presence didn't even occur to him until the huddled form stopped right in front of Hakkai, blocking off Gojyo's view. _What the hell?_

"Hey... how much for you?" the stranger asked in a coarse, low-pitched tone.

"That depends on the nature of your business with me," Hakkai replied in his typically fake pleasant tone. Hearing it made Gojyo sick. "For full benefits, I generally charge 1200 yuan per night."

"Shit. You'd better be a looker if you're gonna charge that much," the man complained, reaching over to lift the hood down off of Hakkai's face. "Not bad, but I wonder what else is under that cloak of yours." Gojyo's eyes widened as the stranger toyed with the strings holding the drab piece of fabric over Hakkai's shoulders.

"If you'd like to follow me to a more secluded area, I can show you."

Gojyo froze in place at the sound of those words, standing motionless as a statue while Hakkai and his prospective client turned and walked toward the nearest dark alleyway. _Shit. _Gojyo thought. _Shit. Shit. Shit. What the hell are you doing, Hakkai? _They were about to disappear around the corner when his feet finally came unglued from the ground. In a frantic effort not to lose them, he raced over to the dim corridor that they had just entered and peered into the endless black. _This... isn't for real. It can't be...! _He gaped in disbelief. _Hakkai's just joking... right? Any minute now he's gonna knock that guy out and take his wallet... _Then he realized that there was no way in hell Hakkai would stoop to committing petty theft.

_Shit... what the hell is going on? _he wondered, searching the darkness for some sign that he was mistaken. There was barely enough light to see anything at all. He could just make out the backs of the two men's cloaks, but obviously nothing of the expression on Hakkai's face. _He saw me, right? He's just doing this to scare me, right? _The two stopped in the middle of the alley, where the shadows were the thickest, and turned to face each other. Gojyo saw Hakkai's hands reach up to undo the strings around the cloak, and then he saw it fall to the ground. _FUCK! He's not actually gonna... _He was sure that the whole thing had been a joke, but what if Hakkai had actually been serious?

While he stood there wondering what to do about the situation, Hakkai loosened the white sash slung over his shirt and let that fall to the ground as well. Then he started to pull at the buttons on his shirt. _Alright... that's enough! _Gojyo decided, moving out from behind the building and jumping into the alleyway. _I'm gonna put a stop to this right now. _"Hey, HAKKAI!!" he yelled down the street. "IDIOT!! What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Oh my...." Hakkai said softly, dropping his hands back down to his sides. "I wasn't expecting him to interfere this quickly; he really does have a complete lack of self-control."

"What're you mumbling about?" Gojyo demanded, picking up the pace so that he could get close enough to hear whatever it was Hakkai was saying. "Hey, stop this shit and come home!"

Hakkai turned to the stranger and politely said, "I'm sorry, would you excuse me for a minute?" Then he turned and walked several steps until Gojyo finally caught up with him. "I'm afraid this is none of your business."

"BULLSHIT!!" Gojyo argued. "Don't say "this is none of your business" and think you can just get away with it! I'm not gonna let some filthy low-life take advantage of you!"

"We need the money, Gojyo."

"I don't care about the money!" he insisted, grabbing Hakkai by the wrist and pulling him back toward the street. "...so you can just march your crazy ass back--" He was cut off when Hakkai knocked his hand away and firmly stood his ground. Then he took hold of Gojyo's upper arm with a vice-like grip and looked him straight in the eye. Gojyo couldn't get past the sincere intensity of that gaze.

"I firmly suggest that you leave."

"Look, if ya want me to apologize for flirting with the damn sales girl and losing my job, then I apologize already! I'm sorry, okay?!"

"I'm afraid that doesn't change the situation one bit," he said, followed by a huge fake smile.

_Damn, that means he's still pissed off, _Gojyo thought. "But... Hakkai!"

"I'm sorry, Gojyo," Hakkai said, turning around to walk back to his client.

Gojyo thought he could hear just a hint of regret in that voice. _He's really... serious about this. _"Hey, wait..." he said, stepping up and extending one arm to hold Hakkai back. He looked up at the dark figure; the man was leaning carelessly against a building and having a smoke like he'd been watching them the whole time. "It just turns out that I'm for sale too... you wanna try me instead?"

The lecherous bastard laughed at him in a condescending tone. "I'm not interested in shit like you," he said. Then one thin, bony finger pointed at Hakkai. "I'm only gonna pay for this guy."

"What the fuck?!" Gojyo said, getting angry that he was being dumped for Hakkai, even if it was by some lascivious bastard that he didn't even know.

"Ah, well... there you have it Gojyo," Hakkai said. "You should probably go home now."

"No way in hell," Gojyo replied, turning back to the other guy. "Hey! My cock's bigger than his is!"

"Gojyo...!" Hakkai protested, sounding appalled by the abrupt statement.

"Why should I care?" the stranger asked. "I'm looking for a nice, tight ass to park my dick in... and your ass looks pretty fuckin' loose."

"WHAT THE--" Gojyo choked. _Did he just smoothly insult me? _He'd never been put down by a complete stranger so quickly in his life. _Just like that shitty priest I-- hey, wait a minute! _He stared over at the cloaked figure huddled against the building, unable to see a thing besides the slim fingers illuminated by the cherry on that cigarette. This guy wasn't wearing any gloves, but those things could be taken off easily. The smell of smoke was strong in the thin air. Even though he could barely catch a whiff of it, Gojyo could tell that they were either Marlboros or something really similar. Still, a lot of people smoked that brand and the voice didn't sound like Sanzo. It wasn't quite as deep, and the stranger's voice was rough and gravelly while Sanzo's was clean and clear. _Besides, isn't that guy hangin' around with Hazel about now? _

On the other hand, Gojyo thought it would be nice if it were Sanzo. In fact, he really wanted it to be Sanzo. That'd just give him one more reason to beat the shit out of that bastard monk. He'd been wanting to do that even since the guy took off right in the middle of Goku bleeding to death.

"You've been around the block a couple times, haven't ya?" the harsh, grating voice taunted. "I bet you know all the tricks, but that's not what I'm after. I want something... fresh."

_Nope, definitely not the shitty priest, _Gojyo thought. _There's no way in hell he'd ever say something like -that-. Besides, that bastard's probably half-way up Hazel's ass by now. _

"I don't suppose you have any acquaintances who would be interested in purchasing some time with my friend?" Hakkai asked. "We really do need the money."

"Hey! Don't just sell me off like that!" Gojyo complained.

"I don't know anyone else who'd want that right now," the cloaked figure replied. "But maybe I'll buy both of you. One for the front and one for the back. How does that sound?"

"I'm afraid I only work alone," Hakkai replied.

"Tch... like we're never been in a threeso- oof!" Gojyo started, but Hakkai elbowed him in the gut before he could finish.

"I really do apologize. My friend has an awfully big mouth. Ah ha ha ha."

"I can see that."

"Shall we proceed then?" Hakkai asked, almost cordially. He leaned over to whisper in Gojyo's ear, "Interfere in this again, and I'll take you home and beat you senseless." Then he let his hand drop away from Gojyo's mouth and walked away. After taking only a few steps he turned his head and added, "Please leave. I really won't be so gentle next time."

"No," Gojyo said, putting his foot down. "I'm not movin' from this spot." Hakkai turned around with an almost murderous glint in his eye, and Gojyo nearly choked on his Adam's apple.

"Hmpf, let the bastard watch," the stranger suggested. "I don't give a shit."

Both of them stared at the shadowy form. "Are you certain you don't mind?" Hakkai asked.

Gojyo was thinking, _That sounded just like Sanzo. _Except for the grating sound of that stony voice, the tone and inflection were almost the same. _...almost... _Even the gravelly sound was beginning to seem suspiciously forced. _If that is Sanzo, then... am I being set up? _Gojyo wondered. He didn't think Hakkai would do something like that, but then again, he was pretty pissed. Besides, it would be better than screwing some random stranger. _Nah, there's no way, right? How would Hakkai even be able to get in touch with Sanzo right now? _"Hey, what did you say your name was again?"

"None of your damn business."

This time, Gojyo thought he could almost hear that voice smooth out around the edges. "Then why don't you come out from under that hood, ya shitty priest?!"

The alley fell silent for a fraction of a second, the atmosphere thick with tension. Then a deep, rumbling laugh emanated from the hood of that cloak. "Who're you calling a priest?!"

Gojyo watched carefully as the stranger stepped from the shadows and his hands lifted to the cloak, slowly pushing the hood back from his face. Light fell first on a protruding nose, then rough, twisted lips underneath a fuzzy, gray mustache. A thin, scraggly beard hung off the end of his chin. _It's... not Sanzo. _Loose, age-spotted skin emerged along with deep, glimmering eyes which were all but hidden underneath thick, bushy eyebrows. The hood fell all the way back to reveal a shiny head that seemed bald with age. _SHIT!!_

Hakkai shot an angry glare in the kappa's direction. It was a look that said: _You idiot! You're clearly trying to ruin this for me, aren't you? Even though this is our last chance at making any money to live off of!_

Gojyo hung his head, feeling ashamed at himself for having been so suspicious. _Like I haven't caused enough problems for Hakkai already. _While he stood there and moped, Hakkai walked back over to the pervy old man and started peeling the shirt off of his chest. The client frowned at the ensanguined bandages underneath and pulled the hood back over his face. He waited patiently while the sleeves dropped off of Hakkai's shoulders and the shirt fell to the ground. Then he took a step closer and grabbed the end of the bandage, pausing for a moment before peeling it off of Hakkai's chest. The first thin layer came off of the top easily, but the next was rigid and sticky with dried plasma. Hakkai gasped painfully as the last layer against his skin was slowly torn away, revealing sore flesh that oozed with blood where the scabs had been pulled off.

The old man stared at him for several minutes before saying, in an almost laughing tone, "So, you're into this shit." His scrutinizing gaze looked over Hakkai's chest before he continued, "Looks like you had a pretty nice body... before somebody fucked it up."

"Fuck," Gojyo cursed under his breath. _Dirty old bastard. _He wanted to punch that guy in the face, but he knew that Hakkai would stop him if he tried. He'd already made it clear that Gojyo would be in deep trouble if he tried to interfere again, and the last thing he wanted was to end up fighting with his lover during a time like this. _Why am I... so fuckin' useless?_

"Tell me something..." the elderly pervert requested, cupping Hakkai's chin in his hand. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes."

_That does it, _Gojyo thought. "Don't talk to him like that!" He raised one clenched fist and glared daggers at the old man. Then Hakkai stepped between them with a chastising look on his face.

"What did I tell you about interfering, Gojyo?"

"But... but, Hakkai!"

"I told you to leave, didn't I?" he warned in a stern tone of voice.

_Shit... he's serious about this! _Gojyo realized. "Don't--!" he begged. _Don't do it! _The serious look on Hakkai's face filled with vicious intent as he slid into his combat stance. Gojyo's mouth gaped in complete and utter dismay, but Hakkai remained dire and insistent. Then Gojyo dropped his head, shaking it and laughing slightly to himself as he turned and walked away. _Fine... be a stubborn bastard then, Hakkai. _"I'm not gonna fight ya." Nothing was said in return as he walked down the alley toward the street. He heard the soft shuffling sound of Hakkai's shoes as he relaxed, but not another sound was heard. Gojyo stomped all the way out of the alley and into the street and turned around the corner.

Then, when he knew he was out of sight, he slid up against the wall of the building nearest to the entrance of that alley. _Even if it is just a dirty old man, I'm still not leavin' ya here alone._ He thought he heard voices in the alley again, so he carefully peered back into the dark. Now that he was back in the dimly lit streets, it took his eyes a moment to adjust. Hakkai's silhouette stood a few feet from the wall, and he was fidgeting with something around his waist, probably undoing his belt. _Why the hell are you doing this? _Gojyo wondered, assuming that Hakkai thought he was doing the old guy a favor or something.

_With looks like that, it's no wonder that guy can't get any without payin' for it. Maybe Hakkai feels sorry for him, _Gojyo thought. _There probably aren't any other gay guys around here in his age group._ Then he chuckled and shook his head. _That's still no reason to give it up to the guy though... Hakkai must be really desperate for money. _Somehow, even that didn't seem to justify doing something like this, though. _Or else... he's still really, really pissed at me. _He hid behind the wall again and scratched his head. _I wonder if he knows about that girl last week.... _There really wasn't any way he could know for sure, unless he asked. But then Hakkai would definitely know.

_Jealous bastard, _Gojyo sighed. _If you wanna punish me by sleepin' with someone else, you could at least choose somebody more attractive than that guy. _He peeked back into the alleyway again, and Hakkai was completely naked. He could tell by the size of the pile of clothing lying next to his feet; he'd probably even taken his shoes and socks off. _Hell, you could even force me to watch you and Sanzo goin' at it. _Then again, Hakkai wasn't stupid enough to believe that something like that would be a punishment. He knew Gojyo would enjoy it. Besides, Sanzo would probably never go for it. _That cold fuckin' bastard, I'm still gonna kick his ass the next time I see him. _

Voices drifted softly on the night air, and then the shadow of the old man started shuffling around in his clothes. _What? He's gonna pull it out now? _He thought he heard the faint sound of a zipper, and then he saw Hakkai step forward and kneel down in front of the guy. _Now that's just fuckin' gross! I bet it's all wrinkly and shit. _Hakkai bent down and buried his face in the shadowy figure's crotch, and stayed there. Wet, slurping noises were heard as a hand crept onto Hakkai's head, and a low-pitched groan filled the air. _Ugh... that creepy old bastard can't even get it up without help! _Gojyo grimaced and hid behind the building again. _Shit. I'll be damned if I'm gonna watch that!_

He pulled back and leaned on the wall of the building again, slapping his own forehead at the stupidity of it all. _Aw, fuck Hakkai... why wouldn't you just drop this shitty attitude and let me save you? _In a way, it reminded him of how they fought in battles, sometimes. Hakkai was always over-exerting himself, never stopping until he was worn out, even though he knew that Gojyo was more than happy to help. _Stubborn-ass bastard... you're always takin' it all on yourself and makin' me look bad. It's no wonder I feel useless. _Even though he tried to ignore it as much as he could, the low-pitched groans from the alley were getting louder. There were a few whores standing idly by the street, but no one seemed to notice or care. They were probably used to hearing sounds like that.

Finally, his curiosity got the better of him and Gojyo peeked back into the alley again. This time Hakkai's head was clearly bobbing up and down over something that had gotten much bigger. _Ick... disgusting! _He wasn't surprised that Hakkai had managed to get it up though; he always had been really good with his mouth. Gojyo knew from experience. _Oh yeah, work it like that Hakkai... nice and fast! Wait a minute... _He flopped over with his back against the wall and wiped his hand over his face in disbelief. _...somebody tell me I'm not actually enjoying this! _He stared off into space with a dumbstruck expression on his face for a few minutes, and then he slowly turned to peer back into the alley. _Well, fuck... Hakkai's hot even if the other guy isn't, and it's not like I can see his wrinkly ass anyway. _

Hakkai continued bobbing up and down over the length, working it around in his mouth at different angles. His hands were also up near that area, probably playing with a wrinkly old set of balls or gripping the base of that cock. _Ew... I thought about that guy's wrinkles again!_ Gojyo realized, wincing to himself and shutting his eyes for a moment. Then he slowly opened them back up, and those two were still going at it. _I'll give that creepy old bastard one thing though, he's sure got some stamina for an old guy. If that were me, I'd be down on my knees, begging Hakkai to let me come in his mouth. _He briefly wondered if it was because of the guy's age. _Maybe he's lost sensitivity or something... and, that's why he can last longer? _Somehow it didn't seem to make any sense. _That's not the way it's supposed to work, right? I thought sex was supposed to get worse as you get older._

Voices echoed in the back of the alley again, and Hakkai finally stopped sucking the guy off. He leaned back and looked up at the figure towering over him, sharing a conversation that Gojyo couldn't hear. That was when Gojyo noticed it; even from this distance there was no way he could be mistaken. There was definitely something long and thick sticking up from Hakkai's lap. From the looks of it, he was already fully erect. _He's... actually getting hard from this?_ Gojyo couldn't believe what he was seeing. _Damn, Hakkai... I always knew you were demented, but this shit really takes the cake. _It didn't make any sense to Gojyo at all. _What could you possibly find arousing about some old geezer? _

Then he realized that Hakkai had been twisted enough to have a hard-on for his own twin sister in the past. _But, she was young and hot... and this guy's all old and nasty. _He couldn't really call the guy ugly, though. His face was actually pretty attractive for someone who was probably old enough to be Hakkai's grandfather. _Hey... I wonder if he ever thought about his real grandfather -that- way, _Gojyo wondered. _Was his grandfather even around? _For a moment he thought that it might be possible that Hakkai was using this strange old man to act out some unfulfilled Grandpa fetish from his youth. _You've got some pretty fucked-up desires there, Hakkai. You kinky bastard. _

Then he watched as Hakkai turned around and got down on all fours, sticking his ass in the air and spreading his legs open._ You're not really gonna do this, are ya? _The old man carefully knelt down behind him and abruptly thrust into his body, forcing a strangled cry from Hakkai's lips. The sound echoed agonizingly through the empty streets, and Gojyo felt as though something within him had shattered. Paralyzed with indecision, he stood there despondently watching the old man thrust into him again and again. Adrenaline-filled blood rushed through his veins and sweat dripped form his brow. He wanted to do something. More than anything else, he wanted to burst in and carry Hakkai away. But then he remembered the look in those deep green eyes the last time he'd tried.

In spite of the painful-sounding cry, and all of the other various sounds following it, Hakkai's erection didn't soften at all. It was still hard and hot, bouncing against his belly at the shock of each thrust from behind. It made him sick to the pit of his stomach. Hakkai wasn't hurting at all; he was enjoying it. _That fuckin' bastard... _Gojyo thought. He knew that something was weird, but he didn't even want to think about the reason Hakkai would enjoy something like that. Before he knew what he was doing, his body had already turned around and his feet had started walking away. Gojyo hadn't really planned on leaving. His intent had been to stay and wait until Hakkai was done, making sure he got through the ordeal without any serious injuries. But, this was something he wasn't prepared for at all.

It hurt. Gojyo was surprised by how much it hurt. _Now I know what it's like to be cheated on, _he thought, ruefully wishing that he'd never done any cheating himself. However, there was no getting away from the fact that he had. Now he knew how Hakkai had felt back when he realized that Gojyo had been sneaking around behind his back. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but he knew that he deserved it. _You happy now, Hakkai? _


	2. Chapter 2 Fake It

**Fake It**

Back at the inn, Gojyo sat on the floor, smoking and playing a game of solitaire. The monkey was fast asleep on the bed, snoring and drooling all over the place. Every now and then Goku mumbled something unintelligible to himself and shifted around in the sheets. He wasn't sleeping well, and hadn't been ever since Sanzo had left. Gojyo didn't care. He wasn't really paying attention at all. He was angry, frustrated, and wounded all at once. He tossed the cards around carelessly while sighing to himself. More than anything, he wished that these feelings would all just go away.

It wasn't as though the relationship he had with Hakkai had ever been monogamous, but even an open arrangement had rules that both parties were supposed to follow. One of those rules had been that Gojyo was, under no circumstances, to flirt or sleep with any of the girls who worked at any of the inns they ever stayed in. Hakkai had lectured him several times on all the complications that such relations could cause for the whole group. In the end, Gojyo had agreed to abide by that rule, if only to avoid any more lectures. Unfortunately, he'd also broken his word more times than he could count.

Before leaving for his first job, Hakkai had made it clear that this rule also applied to places where any of the party members were employed. Gojyo had ignored him of course, to his own detriment. Not only had he disregarded Hakkai's warning and flirted with the sales girl, but in doing so, he had lost his job and caused the entire group to suffer because of his misdeeds. He had been sure that he was going to get a nice, long lecture about it, so when Hakkai had simply smiled and let the matter go, he knew that he was in some serious trouble. He still hadn't expected it to be this bad.

_Fuck, Hakkai! _Gojyo thought, throwing the cards down on the floor. He took a hit off his cigarette and blew the smoke out slowly into the air. He didn't know what to do with himself, and he certainly had no idea what he was going to say to Hakkai when he finally got back. His mind was still filled with images of those two dark silhouettes in the distance, their cries echoing through the alley as they banged recklessly into each other. _Okay, new rule Hakkai: No more selling your body, ever again! Do you hear me? I'm puttin' my foot down this time!_

After thinking about it for a minute, Gojyo decided that was what he was going to say to Hakkai. The second he walked in the door, he'd jump up and yell, _Never again, Hakkai! Fuck... do you have any idea how much that hurt? _He wouldn't say that last part though. No, that would just be asking for another long, annoying lecture, not to mention the resulting guilt trip. He didn't want to get Hakkai started. _But still... this is bullshit! _Gojyo thought, wondering once again what was going through that twisted head. How did Hakkai expect everyone to feel? The other two didn't know about it yet, but Gojyo could already imagine what they would think. _Goku would probably be traumatized, and Sanzo... _Then he stopped. _I don't even want to think about that bastard right now. It's his fault were in this situation in the first place! _

Although, he ended up thinking about it anyway, and he was pretty sure that the monk would be pissed. Probably at him. Because even though it hadn't been Gojyo's idea for Hakkai to go out selling himself on the streets in the first place, it had been his actions that had driven Hakkai to do it. _Lousy bastard... always blaming me for shit I didn't do, _Gojyo thought. _Like I don't feel bad enough already. _Just thinking about it made him decide to beg Hakkai not to tell the others. Bad things would happen if he did, but maybe that was what Hakkai wanted.

Gojyo sighed and shook his head, wondering once again what was Hakkai trying to accomplish, besides revenge. _Sure, I did something stupid... _he admitted to himself. _...but that doesn't mean that you should do something stupid too! _Even though he was sure that Hakkai wouldn't see it that way, he certainly did. _Fuck, what is this? The idiot contest or something?! _If it was a contest, then Hakkai had definitely one-upped him this time. _Yeah, fine... let's both go out and see how much stupid shit we can get ourselves into. Damn, we're so fucked up! _He took another hit off his cigarette and rearranged the cards that were splayed out all over the floor. It was boring just sitting around, and Gojyo wasn't a patient man. So, he started playing cards again. _God-damn! How long is he gonna let that guy fuck him anyway?_ Then he morbidly wondered: _Does he get paid more if it takes longer? _

Waiting for Hakkai to come back seemed to take forever. Gojyo was pretty sure that it had been several hours, but he couldn't be completely certain because he didn't have a watch and each minute Hakkai stayed with that nasty old pervert seemed like an hour to Gojyo. There wasn't even a clock on the wall of the shitty inn that they'd chosen; it was the only one in town they'd been able to afford at the time. Finally, the door creaked slowly open and the cold night air crept into the room along with Hakkai. He was all covered up from head to toe, walking in with the same smile on his face that he always had, as though nothing unusual had happened at all.

Gojyo found that his lips were sealed for some reason, silenced by the false warmth in that smile. He watched quietly as Hakkai untied the cloak and draped it over a chair, wondering what he was going through, and what he could possibly be feeling. Seeing Hakkai act like nothing was wrong made the anger that Gojyo had felt earlier vanish into thin air. Then he watched as his lover took the monocle off, pulled the white sash off of his shoulder, slipped the green headband over that mop of dark hair, and started to unbutton his shirt. _You deserve better, Hakkai... you deserve so much better. _In spite of the fact that Gojyo's gaze was fixed on him, Hakkai didn't acknowledge it at all. He simply continued to undress, and Gojyo knew that it was because he was hiding his inner pain.

_I don't want it to be like this. _He didn't want this uneasy silence that spoke of pain and heartache. How long would they both stay angry and quiet if he didn't say something? It made Gojyo miserable to think that this time, which should be spent comforting and lovingly scolding each other, might be spent in a distant, vengeful silence instead. "Hakkai..." his voice called mournfully for his lover. Hakkai glanced in his direction, but nothing more was said. Instead of making a reply, Gojyo used the bed to push himself up onto his feet and walk over to Hakkai. He buried his face in the nearest shoulder. "Why?"

"Gojyo... I--" Hakkai moved an arm up across his chest, burying his hand in the crimson strands on top of Gojyo's head. He was surprised by Gojyo's actions, but not too surprised. Gojyo was always very caring. Even after being hurt. Even after being betrayed. Hakkai was beginning to feel guilty because of that, beginning to think that he'd gone too far. He was almost considering telling the truth, but he knew that doing so would negate the purpose behind what he'd done and render his well-thought out act meaningless. Even if he wanted to, he didn't think he could find the words to explain. "I'm sorry."

_No, you're not,_ Gojyo thought to himself. He buried his face deeper in Hakkai's shoulder, immersing his cheek in its comforting warmth. "Why did you do it, Hakkai? Why?!" In spite of his resolution to be angry, or at the very least to keep his cool, he sniffled. It was like he had been in shock the whole time, as though the sights and sounds of someone else defiling _his _Hakkai had only just now hit his brain. This was so much worse than a slap in the face. Somehow it felt more like a stab in the back, even though he knew he'd been the one to stab first. The fact that he'd earned this kind of treatment only made it all the more difficult to bear. Tears leaked out of his eyes and into the fabric of Hakkai's shirt.

"Gojyo..." Hakkai said, tightening his arms around his lover's upper body. He couldn't help but think of all the times that Gojyo had gone off with another lover, all the nights when he'd heard the cries of some mysterious woman rising from Gojyo's room. No matter how many times he'd begged, pleaded, and wished for it to stop, it never had. The same pain that pierced his chest back then was tormenting Gojyo now, because of what he'd just done. All for the sake of vengeance, of teaching Gojyo a lesson, because sometimes he only learned things the hard way. Hakkai wondered to himself: _Was it really worth it? _

"I'm sorry," Gojyo sobbed, his breathing loud and ragged while his voice was torn with sorrow. "I'm really, really sorry, okay?" He gasped for air, sniffling as the tears continued to fall from his cheeks. Because as much as it hurt him, he knew that it had hurt Hakkai as well. Even if he wasn't showing it, he was just taking everything on himself like he always did. Gojyo knew what it was like to be used. "I'll never do it again, damn it!"

"Gojyo, please..." Hakkai cried, feeling as though he would start to cry too. He leaned down until his chin touched the top of Gojyo's head, burying it in that thick, cherry-colored mane. Guilt seeped through his veins and into his heart, tearing apart his resolution and setting up residence like an old enemy. "I'm sorry, Gojyo... I'm so sorry!"

"No, you're not!" Gojyo yelled, shoving Hakkai away from him. He didn't want this false pity. _Don't lie to me. Don't say things you don't mean. You wanted to do this to get to me!_

"I see," Hakkai calmly replied, leaning gently on a wall in an effort to support his wavering body. Even though Gojyo's shove didn't really hurt him, the physical exertion had made him feel weak. He felt that he deserved it though, and he wasn't going to argue otherwise. However, he couldn't simply stand around and wait for something else to happen, so he reached up and undid the last button on his shirt. Then he peeled it open to reveal the raw, bloodied flesh underneath.

Gojyo gaped, even though there was nothing new. Just the same old wounds, torn and bloody from the time the bandages had been ripped off by that detestable old man. It was still a gruesome sight, and Gojyo loathed the memory of it. _If you're tryin' to make me feel sorry for you, Hakkai... then that's one sick, fucked-up way--_

Hakkai saw the look on that face and replied, "I'm going to take a shower." It was what he'd intended to do all along. He was covered in dirt, bodily fluids, and other filth. "I don't want to smell like..."

_Oh shit, _Gojyo thought. _I'm such an insensitive prick! _He watched Hakkai pull the shirt down off his shoulders by the sleeves and fold it up, laying it neatly on the table when he was done. _I just had to rub it in, didn't I? _Gojyo thought. He really didn't mean to remind Hakkai of how he'd just been fucked up the ass by a complete stranger for money. He was sick about it, and angry, tormented, and sad, but he didn't mean to hurt Hakkai. Not sweet, sensitive, self-sacrificing Hakkai. He watched his lover slip out of his shoes, and then undo his belt. With a sigh and a shake of the head, Gojyo walked up to Hakkai and steadied the shaky hands at his buckle. "I'll help."

Hakkai's hands fell to the side as Gojyo grasped the buckle. He threaded the belt through it with ease, and had the pants unbuttoned and unzipped in no time. Fingertips slid between the fabric of Hakkai's underwear and his skin, pulling everything steadily down. Gojyo had to bend over once the pants were past Hakkai's knees. His head was to the side of Hakkai's hips, and that was when his nostrils filled with the awful smell. It was the soiled scent of another man's body, someone else's skin and sweat and spend, rising up from between Hakkai's legs. It almost made him want to puke.

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath, bending down further to slide the clothing down Hakkai's shins and past his ankles and feet, onto the floor. The smell was rancid, clinging to the back of his nasal passages like insects on flypaper. There were artificial chemicals somewhere in the mix. Probably the scent of whatever lube they'd used, along with the plastic tinge of a latex condom. Gojyo hadn't noticed the items being used, but Hakkai was always prepared. He had probably slipped the stuff to the old man when he wasn't looking. Gojyo's attention had been diverted at the time, anyway.

Hakkai stepped out of his pants and let Gojyo carelessly shove them to the side. He wasn't feeling up to lecturing him about the many virtues of folding your clothing neatly. Before he knew it, Gojyo was standing up against his side, threading one arm between his back and the wall, helping him stand up straight. Hakkai allowed himself to be led into the bathroom like this, even though he was certain that he could walk perfectly well on his own. Gojyo led him right into the tub, turned on the faucet, and made sure that the water was at the right temperature before switching on the shower. Hakkai grabbed the soap and started lathering it over his arms, but he didn't get very far before he was distracted by the sound of Gojyo shuffling around on the other side of the curtain.

"What are you doing?"

Gojyo grunted as he threw his shirt on the floor and stepped out of his pants. "I'm comin' in."

"Oh," Hakkai said. He wasn't sure what to think of it, so he just went back to covering his upper body in lather.

Gojyo stepped in behind him a few moments later, and took the soap out of his hand. He rinsed the lather off of Hakkai's chest and started spreading suds over his back instead, using the slick surface to help him knead his hands into firm muscles.

Hakkai let his head drop and he groaned wearily. "Gojyo..."

"Relax, I'm just helpin' ya wash off."

"All right," Hakkai said. He hadn't meant to complain. If Gojyo wanted to help him wash, then it was fine with him, but he didn't understand the reason why he was doing it. Hakkai groaned as those slick, persistent fingers smoothed out all the tension in his back. Then they drifted down his body, starting at the sides and then moving toward the front. Soap was rubbed over his belly, sliding over his scar and dipping into his bellybutton. After that, they went lower, brushing the sides of his hips and eventually making their way down to his groin. Hands cupped his private area, spreading lather around his flaccid member and working it all around his balls.

Hakkai tried not to enjoy it too much, because he was fairly certain that Gojyo was just trying to wash him off. If Gojyo had really wanted to feel him up, he would have been much more direct. In spite of that fact, Hakkai could already feel the heat gathering between his legs. Just as Gojyo's hands let go and traveled around to the back, he felt his cock start to twitch and harden. He couldn't help it. Even if Gojyo hadn't intended for that to happen, he couldn't feel the grip of those fingers and not be aroused. Hands slid around behind him and cupped his cheeks, rubbing the soap all over the surface. Then they dipped into his crack, moving from the top of the crease down in between his thighs. Fingertips gently probed his sore opening.

"We should clean you out, 'Kai," Gojyo said, as though asking permission.

"Yes," Hakkai agreed, sounding defeated by his own over-developed sense of humiliation. He had really wanted to do this part by himself. Just wash everything away, as though in doing so he could remove some of his own guilt and deny that it had ever happened. But, he couldn't bring himself to tell his lover to leave now.

Gojyo stepped out of the tub with a quick, "Be right back." Then he walked out of the bathroom, into the bedroom, and started rummaging through their things. With Hakkai being as obsessed with cleanliness as he was, Gojyo knew that he couldn't leave home without having something to clean that part of his body, too. He quickly identified the big plastic bulb with its little black extension and took it back into the bathroom with him. Hakkai was standing there in the shower, waiting for him in the exact same position he had been in before he left. It was like he hadn't moved a single muscle, and there was still that sad, angst-ridden expression on his face. Gojyo felt like shit. _It's all my damned fault._

Hakkai couldn't move, even though a part of him wanted to. He still felt horrible. It was an insidious thing that he'd done, really. With cold and calculating precision he'd planned the entire event, knowing full well the devastating effect that it would have on Gojyo. He was beginning to feel sick to the stomach because of that attitude, that deplorable, self-serving ego of his. He was so ashamed. In spite of the vengeful actions he'd taken that night, Gojyo was going to come and lovingly help him out of the pit he'd dug himself into, and instead of descending into a spiral of self-loathing pity, Hakkai was simply going to stay there and allow him to do it.

He felt his lover step into the shower behind him, heard him take off the cap, and then watched as he held the container over the shower to fill it up with the tepid water. Although it wasn't a regular occurrence, they'd done this several times before. Hakkai's thoughts were interrupted by the feel of Gojyo's hands on his cheeks, delicately spreading them apart just before the cold plastic nozzle pushed into his body. Hakkai tried not to whimper. Even though it didn't really hurt, he was tense and sensitive. The rough texture prodding deeper into his passage was an unwelcome intrusion. He held his breath as the warm water shot up into his body, filling him up before it started to leak back out again.

Gojyo slid it in as gently as he could. He could tell that Hakkai was uncomfortable, but he knew the noises that Hakkai made when he was hurt and he didn't hear any of them. He slowly squeezed the bulb, squirting the water in. Then he patiently waited as it all came gushing back out again. It was cleaner than he'd expected somehow- not that Hakkai would ever allow himself to be caught dirty. He'd expected blood, filth, something disgusting. But thankfully, the water came out clear. There wasn't any blood in it at all.

"That old guy went pretty easy on you, huh? Is that why you picked him?"

Hakkai didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell the truth. "I didn't see his face... not until he lifted the cloak that time."

_Then, you didn't really "choose" him. _Gojyo exhaled and smirked ironically. "You would've just let any guy take you, then." _Just to spite me. That's pretty damn fucked-up. _He waited for Hakkai to say something, but he remained sorrowful and silent. Gojyo was actually beginning to wonder why Hakkai wasn't getting on his case for trying to stop him, or for assuming that the old guy had been Sanzo. It seemed like the sort of thing Hakkai would normally complain about. Usually he'd whine about how Gojyo didn't trust him, and how stupid it was to blame everything on Sanzo regardless of whether the shitty priest was actually around or not. _But maybe, just maybe... Hakkai's actually regretting what he's done. Yeah, that's gotta be it. _

Either way, Gojyo decided that it didn't matter. He didn't want to argue, and he wasn't angry any more. Strangely, the self-absorbed indignation that he'd felt earlier had all drained away and he felt empty in its absence. He no longer cared about the reason that Hakkai had done it. He realized that the thing that hurt most was not what Hakkai had done, but the way in which Hakkai had turned him down, refusing to allow Gojyo to interrupt the activity in order to save him from what he was about to do. As much as that had hurt, Hakkai was here now. He was here, and he wasn't pushing Gojyo away this time. Gojyo intended to take advantage of that, because he wanted something to fill the emptiness he felt, something to distract him from this awful train of thought.

He wanted the feel of Hakkai's body next to his, the reassurance of a touch that made him feel, in a very real and physical way, that everything would be all right. Gojyo didn't want to patronize Hakkai for attention after what had just happened, but he thought that if he just rested against his body for a moment that would be fine. With his chest pressed against Hakkai's back and his hands resting on his lover's hips, he laid several soft kisses along the side of Hakkai's neck. His lover's skin was slick with moisture, and the only scent that lingered on the thick, steamy air was the soft fragrance of soap and shampoo.

Hakkai was glad that he was in the shower. He was relieved that he could use the moisture in the air as an excuse to hide the tears flowing from his eyes. He could easily stop himself from sobbing, holding back his voice from ever making a single sound. He could also hold back his breathing, keeping it firm and steady so that it didn't become rough and ragged with emotion. But he couldn't hold back the tears, flowing freely from the edges of his eyes when he felt that gentle, loving touch. Gojyo's soft lips against his shoulder, the weight of his lover's chest leaning against his back. _I don't... I don't deserve this, _Hakkai thought to himself. No matter how many times he thought so, it never seemed to be enough. _I don't deserve you. _

His eyes pinched shut, closing off the leaking moisture. He held still, allowing Gojyo to touch him, to love him. Hakkai's entire body ached, not with pain or soreness from his wounds, or from the exertion of the previous encounter. It ached with need, for Gojyo. Even though Hakkai knew that he didn't deserve the gentle ministrations of his lover, his heart burned for it all the same. He wanted those hands all over his body, the smooth caress of undulating flesh, pressed so tightly against him. He wanted the heat of Gojyo's straining erection buried inside him, thrusting out every last vestige of doubt and pain. _I'm sorry... _he thought once again, even though he knew Gojyo would never accept his apology. _I'm so sorry, Gojyo. All I ever wanted was you. _

When Hakkai finally found the strength to move, he cupped his hand over the long, lanky fingers that had attached themselves to his left hip. He peeled them gently away from his skin and pulled that hand across the front of his body, resting them against his solid erection. He wanted Gojyo to feel it, to know how hard he was and how much he wanted Gojyo's love. His fingers pressed the other man's hand firmly onto his member, closing it around his cock.

"Hakkai," Gojyo protested, trying to loosen his grip. Hakkai's hand remained firm and steady, holding him so that he couldn't break away. "Hey, we shouldn't--" Then Hakkai let go and turned around in his arms, using his lips to prod into Gojyo's mouth before he could utter another word. They kissed tenderly, with lips and tongues passionately exploring each other's mouths. Gojyo felt Hakkai's hands moving over his skin. They went everywhere, all over his body. Then he felt Hakkai's erection straining against his own, and he had to pull away.

"Please...!" Hakkai begged, the look on his face was so sad.

"No," Gojyo replied firmly. "Hakkai, your injury is still-- and we gotta get it wrapped up, so..."

"I'm not bleeding," he protested. "It'll be fine."

"No, Hakkai... this is stupid!" Gojyo insisted. _I'm not gonna let you hurt yourself because of me! _"You need to lay down and--" He was cut off mid-sentence by Hakkai's lips covering his own and a tongue invading his mouth. Gojyo moaned in protest, but it was no use. Hakkai kept kissing him, sensuously thrusting against his tongue, persuading him to let it go. He was breathless by the time Hakkai finally broke the kiss.

"I-I want you... inside of me, Gojyo. Please, I need this."

"Yeah... alright, fine. But... I'm not gonna top ya. You're still sore."

"Gojyo..." Hakkai trailed off, looking down at the floor. He couldn't be on top. "Even if I wanted to do that..." Hakkai ran one hand over the scabbed surface of his chest. There wasn't any bleeding because the wounds were closed now, but it wouldn't take very much physical exertion to open them back up.

"Fuck," Gojyo muttered, feeling like a dumb ass once again. He wanted to say: _That's just one more reason why doing this right now is a dumb idea. _But he knew that the argument wouldn't get him anywhere when Hakkai was being stubborn. "Well, maybe we could..." Gojyo looked toward the door, imagining what they had to work with in the other room. There wasn't much, just a table and a chair. He couldn't bear to think of bending Hakkai over either of them, and neither would work for the position he wanted anyway. "...nah..."

"What is it?"

"I was thinking: If we only had a bench of some kind. But, we don't."

"We should stay in the bathroom. We wouldn't want to wake Goku," Hakkai reminded.

"Damn!" Gojyo cursed. He'd almost forgotten all about the idiot monkey. He looked around the bathroom, but there wasn't really anything to work with. The tiny counter that held the sink was out of the question, leaving only the toilet and the floor. Then he looked down at the wide brim along the side of the tub. "Hm...."

"What are you thinking?" Hakkai asked.

"Well, I thought that maybe I could lay you down over that..." Gojyo replied, still staring at the edge of the tub. It was probably about four inches across, but it would still be awfully uncomfortable to lie down on. "...but, it's probably not a good idea right now."

Hakkai looked down at the brim, quickly judging its width, length, and height. He knew it would be uncomfortable and awkward, but considering the fact that their only other option was the floor, he was willing to try. "I think I can manage it."

"No way!" Gojyo complained. "Hakkai... what happens if you lose your balance and fall?"

"Then, I'm sure that you'll be there to catch me," Hakkai replied, along with a slightly embarrassed, yet trusting smile.

Gojyo smirked. It was just like Hakkai to say something like that. "Yeah, yeah," Gojyo agreed, sliding one arm around Hakkai's back and taking his hand with the other. "I'm gonna let ya down nice an' slow, okay?"

"Yes," Hakkai agreed. He leaned backwards into Gojyo's arms, allowing him to support his weight and guide him carefully down onto the edge of the tub.

Holding Hakkai tightly in his arms, Gojyo bent down at the waist until his lover's back was resting on the brim. Once he seemed stable, Gojyo snaked his arm out from underneath him. Then he turned around and started soaping himself up. He'd done this enough times to know that the suds could be used as lube, as long as you had enough. After working up a decent lather, he reached down to give his erection a few quick strokes so that it was nice and slippery. Then his hands moved around to his back, sliding in between his cheeks, slathering the outside of his entrance, and then pushing the slick liquid up into his hole.

Hakkai balanced his weight evenly across the brim, dimly aware that Gojyo was washing himself somewhere off to the side, making awkward, jerky movements that splattered water everywhere. After making himself as comfortable as he was going to get, Hakkai pulled his legs up from the floor. He started by balancing them on the edge of the tub and then raised them up until his feet were flat against the wall. After that he spread them open while waiting for Gojyo to finish what he was doing.

Gojyo turned around to find Hakkai all spread open and ready for him. _So stubborn, _he thought. _Don't you ever listen? _He sighed and shook his head. "Put 'em down, 'Kai."

"But, Gojyo..."

"Down."

Hakkai sighed in resignation. Gojyo could be awfully stubborn when he put his mind to it. Hakkai did as he was told, allowing his legs to slide back down the tiled walls until they were on the floor. Gojyo took a step closer and reached down, putting his hands on the outside of Hakkai's legs and pushing them closed against the sides of the tub. Hakkai only had a moment to wonder what in the world his lover was doing before one lanky leg swung over his body and Gojyo's slick, soapy ass impaled its self on his cock. Hakkai gasped is surprise, and then pleasure, as his member was surrounded in wet, welcoming heat.

"Oh yeah," Gojyo groaned, sliding down that thick shaft until his ass cheeks were sitting on top of Hakkai's hips. It was so hot, pushing deep into his body and filling him up. "Your cock feels so good, 'Kai."

"G-Gojyo!" Hakkai stammered, looking up at the smooth, sultry form of his lover. Gojyo's entire body was dripping wet, even his hair was soaked. Droplets formed on top of his shoulders and water trailed down his long, lanky arms. His chest glistened in the artificial light and his legs were spread open, making the shiny surface of his soaped-up cock stand out all the more. Hakkai looked up and noticed a dark, lustful look in those crimson eyes, set off by thick sensuous lips that were parted ever so slightly. He watched with baited breath, and Gojyo reached down and wrapped his fingers around his own cock, stroking it as he lifted his body and then slammed back down onto Hakkai's dick.

The cries from Hakkai's lips were louder than he had intended. He was trying to be quiet, hoping not to wake Goku. But Gojyo was so hot and tight around his member, moving up and down over him in thick, languid strokes. Hakkai could already feel the tension building up inside of him, and his voice screamed out of control, mimicking the erotic pleasure swelling inside his groin.

"Yeah, that's right..." Gojyo mumbled, half-dazed by pleasure. His erection was big and hard in his hand, and the feel of his fingers against its slick length was amazing. His whole body was all hot and bothered, and every inch of Hakkai's member inside of him felt like bliss. No matter how much he worked himself up and down over it, his wanton passage trembled and throbbed, begging for more. _I'm fucking your cock with my ass, Hakkai! _he thought. "You like that, don'cha?"

"Y-YES!" Hakkai answered. He was frantically trying to restrain the volume of his cries, and failing miserably. His hands reached up and grabbed onto Gojyo's knees, searching for something to stabilize him. Between the unusual feeling of his sides hanging off the edge of the tub and the carnal rush of sensation into his brain, he felt truly weightless. The edge of the tub was digging into his back, especially down by his ass, because Gojyo was coming down on him hard. But the feel of that slick, tight passage was so good that Hakkai really didn't care; he was lost somewhere in that fervent heat. The friction increased as Gojyo worked it faster and faster up and down over his cock. The tension in Hakkai's groin tightened until he felt it was about to snap.

Gojyo heard the frantic tone in Hakkai's voice, and knew that he was almost there. "Are... you gonna come, 'Kai?" he asked breathlessly, nearing his own limits as well. The cock inside of him was buried so impossibly deep, he could already feel that tingling sensation as his balls started to tighten. Then he heard the frenzied cry of Hakkai's voice, torn with passion and too far gone to make a worded reply. _Oh, yeah... _"Do it," Gojyo said, rocking his body up and down over that slick, hot length as his fingers played with his own erection. "Come inside me!"

"G-GOJYOOOO!" Hakkai cried as his muscles clenched and spilled his seed into his lover's body.

"Fuck!" Gojyo cursed as he felt Hakkai's cock stiffen inside of him, pumping hot liquid deeper into his body. "Aw, shit... that--" He worked himself up and down over that throbbing length just twice more while he fisted his erection. After that, it was just too much. His body spasmed and contracted wildly while his come shot up into the air and spilled down onto Hakkai's belly. Gojyo gasped breathlessly, milking the last few drops of spend out of his throbbing cock. Then he got so dizzy and light-headed that he collapsed onto Hakkai's chest, breathing into his neck.

There was something wonderful about the closeness of his lover's body, the feel of soft, wet skin, warm and tender underneath him, open and vulnerable. Gojyo knew Hakkai was his again, for however long that lasted. At least he hadn't lost him yet. He slid up a little farther and kissed his lover on the lips, moaning softly as Hakkai opened his mouth and kissed back. This was one thing that the other guy hadn't gotten to do, and he would treasure it, always.

"Hey... I love ya."

"I love you too, Gojyo," Hakkai answered, his voice trembling. He was glad to be back in Gojyo's loving arms, grateful to be forgiven for his own vengeful actions, even if he didn't deserve it. He couldn't help but quietly sob to himself, because he knew that he wasn't worthy of such selfless, unconditional love.

"Don't you _ever _do that again..." Gojyo said. In his current tone of voice, it sounded like a command, but really he was begging because he remembered the annoyed tone in that voice when Hakkai had repeatedly told him to leave. He remembered the dangerous glint in those eyes when his lover had squared off against him in preparation for a fight. He couldn't tell what Hakkai had been thinking, but Gojyo was thankful that it was over. _Hakkai, please... never let anything like that happen again. Never let anyone touch you like that. Not ever._ "...you crazy bastard."

"I--" Hakkai choked. _I won't, I promise. _He couldn't finish what he was planning to say. Gojyo was so honest, so forgiving, he just couldn't lie any more. _I didn't do it! I didn't really betray you... I couldn't. It was all just an act! _But he couldn't say it out loud, no matter how hard he tried. Confessing to the truth now would only bring more pain.Hakkai felt like a coward, because even though he did it out of vengeance and he deserved punishment, he still didn't want Gojyo angry at him. At least, not when he was already so angry with himself. _I'm such a terrible person. _He knew that Gojyo would find out eventually, anyway. But until that time, Hakkai was going to keep his mouth shut.

Gojyo was surprised to hear Hakkai sniffling underneath him. He couldn't tell for sure, but he was pretty certain that those were tears by the sides of his eyes. _Maybe it hurt more than I realized,_ Gojyo thought. Although, he wasn't really sure if he meant that in an emotional sense, or a physical one. It was clear that Hakkai was hurting emotionally, but maybe he was hurting physically, too. Gojyo knew that it wouldn't be the first time Hakkai had held back the pain. _Maybe he wasn't really enjoying it as much as I thought? _

After all, Gojyo realized that being aroused wasn't the only thing that could get a guy hard. There had been times in the past when he'd been fighting for his life and his heart beat raced, pumping adrenaline through his body. Sometimes all that blood just ended up in the wrong area. Sometimes being excited, or nervous, or scared, or amped up for any reason, could have that effect. _Unless... he really does have a grandpa fetish, _Gojyo thought. _But there's no way, right? He said he didn't even see that guy's face until I did... _Although, Gojyo thought there was something fishy about that.

It wasn't as though Gojyo knew a whole lot about Hakkai's past. The past wasn't something that either of them talked about very often. All he knew was that Hakkai had lived with his parents before they divorced, and that he had lived with his mother after that, until she took him to the orphanage. Technically, Gojyo didn't even know if Hakkai'd had a grandfather who was alive back then. Even if he did, had he ever actually met the guy? Hakkai was so young back then, would he even remember it? Either way, Gojyo was going to remember to ask Hakkai about his grandfather sometime. Hopefully, long after this incident had been forgotten. That way Hakkai wouldn't have any reason to lie about it.

Then Gojyo realized that he'd probably been crushing Hakkai's body down into the edge of the tub, and that he should really get up. He climbed to his feet, but then his knees buckled underneath him. They were worn out after lifting all of his weight up and down so many times. "Damn it!" Gojyo cursed, tumbling into the corner behind him.

"Gojyo!" Hakkai called out in alarm. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine," he replied sheepishly. "My legs are just a little tired, that's all."

"I'm sorry," Hakkai said, looking down at the way his body was straddled against the edge of the tub. His back was getting really sore, but he couldn't get up without help. Not unless he wanted his wounds to open back up. He was beginning to feel foolish for having insisted on doing this. "It's all my--"

"It's not your fault," Gojyo interrupted. "I'm the one who wanted it in that position, remember?" He pushed himself up onto his feet. "That damn edge is just too short for long, sexy legs like these. I guess all that bending strained 'em more than I realized." His legs wobbled a little at first, but after a few minutes he was able to stand up straight. "You've got come all over your belly," he said, taking Hakkai's hand in his. "Let's get you rinsed off."

Hakkai laughed. "Are you sure?" he asked, wondering if Gojyo would really be able to help him up without keeling over. There was no point in both of them falling.

"Yeah, I gotcha."

"Alright."

Gojyo steadied himself against the wall as he pulled Hakkai up onto his feet. Hakkai wavered for a minute and then slumped forward against Gojyo's chest, leaning on him as he panted in the warm, humid air. "What're you so tired for?" Gojyo teased. "I'm the one who did all the work!"

Hakkai giggled brokenly, a strangled sound that meant that he was truly happy in spite of being completely exhausted. Then he straightened up and leaned into the shower, which had been running the whole time. Hakkai noticed that it wasn't as warm as it had been earlier, so they would have to hurry up and rinse off before the water turned cold. Gojyo stood up behind him, and wrapped an arm around his waist. Hakkai could feel those long, lanky fingers drifting over his wounds, gently rubbing the water over his body to wash the semen off of his scabbed chest.

While he washed Hakkai's body, Gojyo felt some of the scabs coming detached beneath his fingers, rolling around loosely as his hands moved back and forth. When he was sure that he'd washed all of his come off of Hakkai's belly, he pulled his hand back and found a tinge of red on the wet surface of his fingertips. "Hakkai... you're bleedin', man."

"It's only a little," Hakkai replied, looking down at his body. A few of the scabs were starting to peel at the edges. Blood oozed slowly from the corners of his wounds, but it wasn't gushing out or even flowing quickly at all.

"We need to get you wrapped up again," Gojyo said, in a tone that didn't leave any room for debate. He moved one hand to Hakkai's waist and took his hand in the other, helping him step over the edge of the tub and out onto the tiled floor. He waited until Hakkai's trembling form started to steady, and then quickly rinsed the soap off of his cock.

Hakkai used his grip on the counter to balance himself. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, a pallid expression on a worn-out face. His chest was torn apart by angry red slashes that bled from the seams. In short, he looked like a complete wreck. _No wonder Gojyo was so hesitant. _The image in the mirror bothered him, so he turned to watch his lover. Hakkai noticed that he was washing the soap off of his body, and then watched as he turned off the water. "Aren't you going to rinse it out?"

"Hm, rinse what?" Gojyo asked, turning toward him with a confused look on his face.

Hakkai smiled awkwardly and said, "You still have my semen inside of you."

"Oh, that," Gojyo replied, laughing in embarrassment. "Nah, the water's gettin' too cold. Besides, I kinda like the way your come feels in there." He giggled a little more at the shocked look on Hakkai's face, and watched as his cheeks started to flush with blood.

"G-Gojyo," Hakkai protested, working to regain his composure. "After we leave here tomorrow, you might not get a chance to shower again for a while."

"If we get kicked outta this place tomorrow, then I think we'll have a lot more to worry about than your come up my ass, Hakkai."

"I suppose that's true. Ah ha ha."

Gojyo stepped out of the tub, toweled off, and then gave Hakkai a rub-down as well because he had obviously forgotten to do it himself. _Maybe he's trying not to move much, so that the bleeding doesn't get any worse. _Once they were both dry, they walked out into the room. Hakkai sat in a chair and Gojyo pulled a new roll of bandages out of the bag and started wrapping Hakkai's chest. "This one's gonna have to do for the night, because we don't have any more left."

"I should be able to heal myself sufficiently before I have to take these off," Hakkai said. "It's really not so bad anymore."

"Yeah, I guess," Gojyo agreed. He'd seen it much worse. After all, he was the one who'd bandaged it the first time, right after the Seiten Taisei's claws had carved the wounds into Hakkai's flesh.

"I'd like to leave town tomorrow," Hakkai said. "We've already ruined our reputations here, so it's probably better if we leave."

"Whose reputation are you more worried about, mine and Goku's... or yours, after that stunt you jus' pulled?" Gojyo teased. "Word gets around in a small town like this; you might have some new customers tomorrow night."

"That's why I think that it would be better if we left," Hakkai replied with a treacherous smile.

Gojyo knew that one. That was one of the ones you had to watch out for. It was a smile that meant that he'd better shut up, if he knew what was good for him. "I guess we'd better buy supplies, then," he said, finishing up his job of wrapping Hakkai's chest. Gojyo tucked the loose end of the bandage in underneath the rest. "How much'd that guy pay you, anyway?"

"1200 yuan," Hakkai replied, pulling his pants off the floor and fishing around in them. He pulled out a big wad of bills all rolled together and tossed it to Gojyo. "I haven't counted it yet." After he emptied all the pockets, he took his clothing into the restroom. Washing it in the sink was probably the best he could do for clean clothes.

"Damn, Hakkai," Gojyo said, catching the huge wad in the palm of his hand. "You think you made enough money off that guy?" When Hakkai didn't answer he opened the wad and spread the sheets out flat. Lighting in the room was dim, so he didn't notice anything wrong at first. It took a few seconds of squinting at the bills for him to notice. "SHIT!!"

"Is something wrong?" Hakkai calmly inquired.

"These bills are fuckin' FAKE!!"

"Oh.... Oh dear."

"SHIT! FUCK!! That dirty old bastard scammed you!"

"Are you sure?" Hakkai asked, walking up to Gojyo. He couldn't see anything wrong with them. Then again, fake currency was probably something that Gojyo would know about.

"You IDIOT! An experienced whore would've noticed that!"

"Are you saying that you'd prefer it if I were an experienced whore?"

Gojyo smacked his forehead with the palm of his head. "You know what? Forget it. Just go wash your damned clothes."


	3. Chapter 3 Conspiracy

**Conspiracy**

Sanzo didn't care about eating fancy meals at expensive restaurants. He didn't care about tender, juicy steak and rich, flavorful wines. But most of all, he didn't care for the company. Gato wasn't so bad; at least he didn't talk very much. Hazel, on the other hand, was driving him up the wall with his constant chatter in that arrogant, lilting tone. It seemed like the only thing he could talk about besides the food was himself, and Sanzo was fed up with both subjects. He never would have imagined that anything could be worse than setting out on a journey with his previous companions, but this was definitely worse. Hazel was stupid, smug, and perverted enough for all three of them put together.

_I swear, the moment I find out who's behind all this and where to find him, I'm going to leave these two in the dust. _He picked at the thick steak on his plate, wondering how people could possibly eat this much. _Don't these westerners eat anything besides meat? _It made him wish for Hakkai's cooking, even if there were too many vegetables for his liking at times.Gojyo and Goku always hogged all the meat, anyway. Then Sanzo sighed and tried to think about something else. He casually sipped the wine, but it was too complex for his taste buds. It made him pine for a good bottle of sake. He felt like he'd do anything for the comforting taste of something familiar.

Aside form the menu, Hazel's useless prattle was starting to get on his nerves. It was annoying listening to him go on and on about all the great things he'd done lately. Then people started to recognize him and came over with wide-eyed looks on their faces, asking him questions and begging for his help. Hazel was more than happy to answer all of their questions and offer them anything they desired, as long as he got a chance to kill more youkai. Sanzo couldn't stand to listen to it another minute. He pushed his chair back form the table, got up, and walked toward the door. He hadn't even gotten halfway there when he heard that annoying voice.

"Sanzo-han! Are ya goin' somewhere?"

"I'm going out for a walk," he replied, in a dour tone that didn't leave room for questions. He walked out the front exit and into the night, slamming the door behind him. "Fuckin' idiot," Sanzo muttered to himself. There was only so much stupidity that he could stand in one day. He'd be back though, of course. He'd have to go back. He'd trail that damned cleric until he got to the bottom of whatever was going on, because no one was going to attack Goku like that and get away with it.

Sanzo stood under the veranda and lit a cigarette, taking a long, relaxed drag before stepping out into the street. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care. As long as it was away from the restaurant. Away from the noise. Away from the people. Away from the rampant ignorance that plagued the entire establishment. He walked down the road, turned a few corners, and kept going farther and farther until the noise and the bustle died down. Before he even realized it, he was in a shady part of town-- a run-down block with decrepit buildings and a bunch of ugly, old hags lining the streets. He tried to avoid them as much as possible, but he passed a little too close to one and she reached out to cling onto his arm.

"Hey there, Gorgeous... you looking for someone to spend the night with?"

"Get off!" Sanzo commanded, roughly shoving her away. She screamed and tumbled backwards into a wall. Sanzo glared at her until he heard a familiar voice from somewhere off to the side.

"Sanzo?"

He turned to look, expecting to see anyone but, "Hakkai?"

"Ah... this is a bit awkward, isn't it?"

"What're _you_ doing here?!"

"Ah ha ha ha."

"Idiot." Sanzo took a hit off his cigarette and shook his head. _What the hell is there to laugh about? _"I'm in town with that self-obsessed bishop and his pet bodyguard. We just got here a few hours ago and he's already got half the town eating out of his hands. I swear, there's not enough room in that restaurant for both him and his ego, let alone anyone else."

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Are you just going to stand there and laugh?" Sanzo asked. He wanted to know how they had ended up in the same town. And why, for that matter, Hakkai was out walking around without either of the other two idiots in tow. He was standing around in the worst possible area of this tiny little town and talking to a couple of prostitutes. It didn't make any sense. But they had been standing right next to him, so he had obviously been carrying on a conversation with them.

"We drove here several days ago, and have been staying in this town while trying to find jobs."

The answer made sense. Driving would have gotten them there much faster than Sanzo and the other two could go on foot. "Jobs?"

"Unfortunately, you didn't have the foresight to leave us your gold card before you left."

Sanzo exhaled. _Of course, blame all your problems on me. _Even though he knew that it really was irresponsible of him to leave them with nothing, he'd never actually admit that he felt even the slightest bit guilty. "That still doesn't explain what you're doing in the streets."

"I'm just doing a little research," Hakkai answered, as though his intentions were completely innocent.

Sanzo raised an eyebrow. "What kind of research?"

It was Hakkai's turn to exhale, loudly venting his frustration. He should have known that he wouldn't be able to get away with it. "We don't have anything left. Goku lost his job at the restaurant by eating all of the food...."

Sanzo snorted at that. It was just so typical of Goku. Somehow, it made him feel better knowing that the monkey was well enough to make a nuisance of himself.

"...and Gojyo got fired for flirting with a female co-worker."

"Tch... perverted bastard," Sanzo replied, with an annoyed look.

"I thought that I would threaten to sell my body in order to earn some money for us."

Sanzo stared into the creepy-looking smile on Hakkai's face, wondering if he was serious. "Don't even think about it!"

"Ah ha ha ha," Hakkai laughed. Sanzo glared. "I wasn't actually going to do it; I just want Gojyo to think that I will."

"You don't have to talk to whores for that."

"Oh really? I thought it would scare him more if he knew that I was asking for the going rate."

"Hakkai..."

"His behavior is inexcusable, Sanzo. You know that I would let this go if it were just another breach of my own trust, but in losing his job at a time like, this he's put all of our lives in jeopardy... for the sake of propositioning a woman. Should I simply let this stand?"

Sanzo took a few hits and thought about the matter. It was true that the kappa had been careless and needed to be taught a lesson. If he were around, he'd definitely give the bastard hell. On the other hand, Hakkai was downright scary when he was this upset. Listening to him rant made Sanzo feel very glad that he wasn't the perverted kappa right now. It was rare for Hakkai to get this angry about anything, but when he did become vindictive, terrible things were bound to happen. Gojyo was in a world of trouble. "What're you going to do about it?"

Hakkai forced a glaring smile onto his face and said, "I'd like to ask you for a favor."

*****

"Let me get this straight..." Sanzo sighed, expelling his smoke while his hand smoothed out the wrinkles in his brow. "You want me to hide my appearance, disguise my voice, and pretend to buy you so that he will think that you're really going to...?"

"Yes."

"I refuse."

"But, Sanzo--"

"I don't like it."

"Very well then," Hakkai replied. "I suppose I'll simply have to find myself another 'client'." In spite of the subtle wording, the statement was a very clear and intentional threat.

Sanzo glared. "You wouldn't dare."

"You could leave and hope that I don't." He delivered the line with a seemingly innocent smile.

"Fuck..." Sanzo's cursing was the sound of defeat. "I don't have a choice."

"Now that you've realized that, I'll go get the supplies."

Sanzo stood there with an annoyed expression on his face, watching as Hakkai calmly walked down the street in the opposite direction of where he'd come from. _I could leave now... _Sanzo thought. If he left, there was no way Hakkai would find him before Hazel's group left in the morning. On the other hand, he knew that Hakkai would hunt him down eventually, so he stood there and sighed to himself. "There's no way I can win."

The streets were fairly silent as he waited. Every now and then a customer would walk down the streets, meet with a street worker or two, and then leave. It was all done as quickly and quietly as possible. None of the prostitutes or their clients ever looked his way. Even amongst themselves, it seemed that they avoided eye contact as much as possible. It was a sick and desperate part of town and a deplorable line of work. Sanzo hoped that he never had to witness this kind of scene again.

Hakkai was back soon enough. It seemed as though he hadn't wasted much time getting what was needed. Sanzo had expected it to take a while for Hakkai to explain his absence, but considering the walk to wherever they were staying, he must have spent little time there. He didn't seem to have brought very much back with him. Sanzo stared wordlessly at the drab cloak he was offered while Hakkai rambled on about how to wear it and how long it would take for Gojyo to get to where they were.

Sanzo was only half-listening until Hakkai mentioned something about treating him roughly. After hearing that, Sanzo suggested the use of a safe word. Then Hakkai said that if Gojyo tried to interfere, he would handle it, and suggested that Sanzo go and wait somewhere to the side from where he would be standing. Even though Sanzo had absorbed all of the information, he was distracted by the simplicity of the cloak. He wondered to himself, _Is this really all we have? _He had expected a more elaborate scheme than this. It was much too simple. "It'll never work."

"Ah... why not?"

"He'll know that it's me."

"You think so? Even with the disguise?"

"We've been traveling together for over a year now, Hakkai."

"But if you change the tone of your voice, we should be fine."

"I'm not sure about that."

"Then what would you suggest?" Hakkai asked. He stood by with one hand on his chin, thinking it over while waiting for Sanzo to say something. "I would say to wear a mask or something, but I don't have anything like that."

"Hn... I'll handle it."

"You have a plan?"

"Yeah..." Sanzo shouldered the cloak; he was still going to need it. It'd be much easier to hide his clothing underneath its worn fabric than to change. He walked along the side of the alley while thinking about how he was going to make this plan work. On the way, he passed by the girl he'd pushed aside earlier, and it gave him an idea. "Hey." he called to her. "Proposition me again the next time I walk by."

"Are you serious?!" she demanded, looking angry and insulted. "I'd have to be crazy to let you push me down again!"

"Then I'll make it worth your while," Sanzo offered, rolling his eyes.

"Really?" She blinked and moved a few steps closer while Sanzo started to shuffle through his robes.

He was sure that he'd left a few bills in there somewhere, but they weren't in the pocket he usually put them in. _No, not in here... _So he checked another one. _...not in here, either. _He tried a pocket over on the other side, but his hand fumbled its way into a meat bun before it could reach anything else. Sanzo pulled the thing out, sighed, and shook his head. "Hold this," he commanded, leaving it hanging from his fingers until the whore took it from him. There were two more of them in the pocket, and he tried to shuffle around them in order to get to the bottom.

"Do you have more of these?"

Sanzo looked up, and for the first time he noticed how scrawny the woman was. The skin was practically hanging off her bones. Her lips parted hungrily while her eyes were riveted to the small dough-covered glob of meat.

"Please... just give me a few more of these, and I'll do it!"

"Yeah," Sanzo agreed, fishing through his pocket for the other two. It was just as well; he couldn't seem to find the money anyway. _Now that I think about it, didn't I spend my last few yuan on that newspaper yesterday? _If he didn't have any change, there was no way for him to get any. There didn't seem to be any ATM machines in this rotten little town. Sanzo had never even thought about it, since Hazel paid for almost everything. He lifted the other two meat buns out of his pocket, realizing that they must be at least a week old because that was the last time he'd bought some to silence Goku. They were probably pretty stale, but he handed them to the woman anyway. Then he noticed that a few more prostitutes were closing in, eyeing the food in intense hunger.

"Hey, you can't eat all of that!"

"Give us some, too!"

"Stay back, it's mine!"

Sanzo backed away as the women came closer. The one he'd been talking to quickly shoved the first meat bun in her mouth, clutching the others to her flat chest. The other two ran at her, screaming and clawing and pulling her hair. "HEY!" Sanzo yelled, making them all stop and gape at him. He reached into another pocket and pulled out four more meat buns. The two without food prostrated themselves at his feet while the other one quickly finished her meal.

"Please, we'll do anything!"

"We'll let you push us down, too!"

"Yes, we'll let you do anything you want!"

"I'll give you a free blowjob!"

"You can fuck me all night, please!"

"Just... shut up and eat!" Sanzo cried, shoving two meat buns at each of them and backing away in mock terror. Then he heard Hakkai's laughter coming from somewhere to the side. Sanzo turned toward him, and he was standing there holding his stomach and laughing like it was just the funniest thing in the world. "Hey... don't laugh!"

"Ah ha ha... but the ladies adore you, Sanzo." Hakkai teased. "They're worshiping the very ground you walk upon, ha ha ha!"

"It's not funny, damn it!" Sanzo insisted. "SHUT UP!"

"Charitable Priest Sanzo, feeding the hungry!"

"YOU WANNA DIE?! Fuckin' bastard!"

"Ah ha ha ha ha!"

Sanzo stomped off in the direction he'd been headed before, fuming all the way. "Fuckin' idiots! They're just... so fuckin' annoying!" He walked several blocks down, but his angry march was interrupted when he saw a large dumpster overloaded with trash. He didn't think anything of it until he got close enough to spot what appeared to be a large wad of money sticking out from one of its corners. He walked up and grabbed it, thumbing through the bills. They looked to be brand-new, and in pristine condition. Barely touched by human hands.

"That money's fake." The blunt, yet melodious voice came from another whore who was leaning against a wall just up ahead. "Fucking asshole paid me in counterfeit bills. If I ever see him again, I'm gonna pour poison into his drink."

"Hn..." Sanzo examined the bills a second time. He couldn't see anything wrong with them, but he didn't know much about fake money to begin with. It would explain the reason that the bills were so clean and crisp. They had probably just been made not long ago. He decided that the fake money would be useful for fooling the perverted kappa, and he tucked it into his robe.

By the time he finally arrived at his destination, it had already been quite a while since he'd left Hakkai standing in the arranged spot. Sanzo had put plenty of distance between them, making sure that anyone who might be watching wouldn't think to associate him with Hakkai at all. He turned into another small alleyway and pulled the scripture off of his shoulders, tucking it away in a pocket. The chest plate presented a problem because it was much too big for that. He looked around to make sure that he was out of sight, and then he took the cumbersome thing off and slid it underneath a dumpster. Hopefully, no one would bother to look for anything under there until he came back.

He undid his robe and took his black shirt off as well; it was much too recognizable if anyone were to catch a glimpse of it. Then he put his robe back on, took the cloak Hakkai had given him, and draped it over his body. It hid pretty much everything, except for his face. _I really don't know how Hakkai expected this to work. _It was true that he could probably get it to cover the upper half of his head in shadow, and that the alley was dark, but the lower half of his face would still be clearly visible. If any light were to hit him, he would most definitely be found out.

_What I have to do now is change my appearance, _Sanzo thought. He knew just the spell to do it; all he had to do now was think of a face to change into. _Who do I know that looks like a low-life perverted bastard? _The first person who came to mind was Gojyo. As funny as it would be to see the perverted kappa balk at the sight of his own face, it was definitely not appropriate for the situation. They would be found out in a matter of minutes if he used a disguise like that. Besides, there was no way he ever wanted to look anything like Gojyo. _There must be someone else I know who looks like a good-for-nothing scoundrel...._

There had been plenty of suspicious-looking characters that they'd run into during their journey, but Sanzo could hardly remember any of their faces. Besides, he needed to think of someone that only he knew. If it was anyone that they had met during their journey, then Gojyo might recognize the face. That would ruin everything. Then Sanzo remembered a creepy-looking old man that he had met a long time before he had known any of the others. He could still remember the first time he had seen that guy, sitting by the window and smoking inside of a temple. _He definitely looked like a demon, _Sanzo thought. It wasn't an ideal disguise, but it would serve his purpose.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the old man's face while clasping his hands and chanting a sutra. Sanzo could still remember what that face looked like, every wizened, age-spotted detail. It had been over seven years since the man had died, but the impression that he had left hadn't faded a bit. This was the same man who had laughingly compared him to Master Koumyou and had told him that he should be able to bear the weight of his own karma. He was also the same old man who had scolded him about inhaling too much, and had given him his first pack of Marlboros.

After the transformation was complete, Sanzo opened his eyes, which were now obscured by overhanging eyebrows. The hairs on his brow were now so long that they brushed against his cheeks. He brought his hands up to feel the thin, sagging skin on his face. "Shit! I forgot how fuckin' ugly that old bastard was!" Then he huffed in exasperation, because it was much too late to change his mind. He pulled the hood down over his face, finding that it covered up much more than he had thought it would. If he tucked his newfound beard down into his shirt, then maybe no one would notice that he'd turned himself into a hideous old man.

It was about time to start moving again, and Sanzo crept along the side of the buildings bit by bit while watching carefully for any sign of the kappa. There was nothing at first, so he stood and waited until he could sense the other's presence. He also moved a little closer to Hakkai. Not close enough that it looked like they were together-- he was still several dozen meters away. But he had to make sure that he got to Hakkai first. He couldn't let Gojyo get close enough to talk to Hakkai, or to notice the makeshift disguise he was wearing. Soon he saw the crimson-haired pervert loping down the alley like he didn't have a care in the world.

Sanzo started off to the side, stopping briefly to shove the prostitute from before-- who made good on her word to proposition him again-- out of the way as he resolutely stomped forward. He walked up right between Hakkai and the approaching kappa, trying to make himself look as large and threatening as possible in spite of the fact that he was shorter than both of them. Hakkai looked at him with a well-played gasp of surprise, keeping his eyes on the man in front of him so as not to look up at Gojyo. Sanzo wondered if Hakkai could see what he'd done to his face. They were close enough, but there was light was shining from behind him which might obscure the view.

"Hey... how much for you?"

Hakkai smiled pleasantly and said, "That depends on the nature of your business with me."

Sanzo almost shivered with disgust at the tone in his voice, that sarcastic ire. _He must be really pissed off at that guy.... _And for the second time that night, Sanzo was very glad that he wasn't Gojyo.

"For full benefits, I generally charge 1200 yuan per night."

"Shit," Sanzo replied. _Idiot! What the fuck are you trying to pull with a price like that?!_ "You'd better be a looker if you're gonna charge that much," he huffed, and decided that he'd better get in character really quick. _I'm supposed to be a useless, perverted bastard... and a perverted bastard would want to have a look. _He reached up and pulled the hood down from Hakkai's head. "Not bad, but I wonder what else is under that cloak of yours."

He saw a slight twinge in Hakkai's lips. The fuckin' bastard was probably trying like hell not to laugh at him for what he'd just said. _This is just a game, right? It's not like we've never role-played before. _

"If you'd like to follow me to a more secluded area, I can show you," Hakkai offered, somehow managing to regain his composure, even out the tone in his voice, and make his smile as fake as ever.

Sanzo followed him into an alley, wondering what Gojyo was doing right now. _He's probably shitting bricks, the fuckin' bastard. _Once they were far enough away that he was absolutely certain that Gojyo couldn't hear them, he stopped and said, "Hey... how far are we going to take this?"

"We'll see," Hakkai quietly replied, unfastening his cloak and letting it fall off his shoulders. "I'm not quite done with him yet."


	4. Chapter 4 Over The Limit

**Over The Limit**

Backed into the darkest part of a long alley, Sanzo watched as a sickeningly sweet smile spread across Hakkai's face. The latter reached down and untied his white sash, letting it flutter to the ground. Unlike all the other times that Sanzo had watched Hakkai take his clothes off, this was not sexy. Hakkai wasn't being alluringly aggressive, he was just pissed off at the kappa. It was downright annoying how he was stubbornly holding a grudge. "Tch... don't you think this is a little underhanded?"

"Not at all," Hakkai replied, as he started to undo the buttons on his shirt.

"Hey HAKKAI!" Gojyo's voice came screaming down the alley. "IDIOT!! What the fuck are you doing?!"

_Scared out of his damn mind, _Sanzo thought. _He really thinks that Hakkai is going to sell his body to some stranger._

"Oh my..." Hakkai said, with a false tone of concern. "I wasn't expecting him to interfere this quickly; he really does have a complete lack of self-control."

Sanzo moaned and hung his head as Gojyo got closer, and Hakkai excused himself to go deal with the kappa. It was so annoying, Sanzo decided to have a smoke. He pulled one out and lit it up as he watched them argue back and forth. The interaction was not unlike Hakkai's usual scolding, with the exception that this argument was much more severe. Sanzo huffed when Hakkai said that they needed the money. He didn't think that even the idiotic kappa was stupid enough to buy that excuse.

_This is ridiculous... _Sanzo thought, watching as Hakkai grabbed Gojyo's arm and seriously demanded that he leave. Gojyo offered a heartfelt apology and Hakkai immediately blew it off. Sanzo didn't want to get involved, but he definitely thought that Hakkai was taking his grudge too far. He watched an insidious smile spread across Hakkai's face, which was doing nothing to hide his apparent anger. Gojyo protested, but Hakkai ignored him. He apologized in advance and then started walking back in Sanzo's direction. _Haven't you fucked with his mind enough already? _Sanzo thought. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. _Knock it off! _Thankfully, Gojyo stopped Hakkai's progression.

"Hey, wait," Gojyo said, then he looked up at Sanzo. "It just turns out that I'm for sale too... you wanna try me instead?"

_Moron, _Sanzo thought. "I'm not interested in shit like you. I'm only gonna pay for this guy."

"What the fuck?!"

Sanzo almost wanted to laugh at the stupefied expression on Gojyo's face. He clearly didn't get turned down very often.

"Ah, well... there you have it Gojyo," Hakkai casually replied, trying to regain control of the situation. "You should probably go home now."

"No way in hell," the kappa replied. Then looked in Sanzo's direction and said, "Hey! My cock's bigger than his is!"

"Gojyo...!" Hakkai protested.

It took all of Sanzo's considerable willpower not to snicker at the remark. It was true, but it only made Gojyo a self-absorbed asshole for saying so. "Why should I care?" Sanzo asked. Then he realized that he was acting too much like himself. He had to add something perverted; something that he wouldn't normally say. "I'm looking for a nice, tight ass to park my dick in... and your ass looks pretty fuckin' loose."

"WHAT THE--"

The result was priceless. He'd never seen Gojyo so humiliated that he was lost for words. Sanzo was sure that the insult had stung, because it was also true. _That's what you get for bragging about the size of your dick, dumbass._ Gojyo stood around gaping like an idiot, but then the look on his face turned to a suspicious glance. Sanzo frowned, hoping that if all else failed, his ridiculous disguise would be enough to fool the stupid kappa. He had realized much too late that giving himself the face of an old man might seem out of place, but whether the kappa actually had the brains to stop and think about it or not was another matter. _I hope he's as stupid as I think he is. _

For added dramatic effect, Sanzo decided to taunt the kappa further and say something completely out of character. "You've been around the block a couple times, haven't ya?" He said it casually while smoking his cigarette. After all, Gojyo wouldn't be thinking clearly if he was angry. "I bet you know all the tricks, but that's not what I'm after. I want something... fresh." The dumbstruck look on Gojyo's face upon hearing that proved that the ruse was working, for now.

"I don't suppose you have any acquaintances who would be interested in purchasing some time with my friend?" Hakkai chimed in. He had realized what was going on and obviously wanted to contribute to the confusion. "We really do need the money." Gojyo complained about it of course, since his objective was to save Hakkai from being defiled by another man.

Sanzo was sure that it'd start another annoying argument if he didn't say something. "I don't know anyone else who'd want that right now." _End of discussion. Now to add something perverted._ "But maybe I'll buy both of you. One for the front and one for the back. How does that sound?"

"I'm afraid I only work alone," Hakkai nervously replied. The look on his face showed that he was clearly upset at the suggestion.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any way for Sanzo to explain himself without giving them both away. _It was just part of the act, I didn't really mean to suggest that--_

"Tch... like we're never been in a threeso- oof!" Gojyo cut in, and then was quickly silenced by Hakkai's elbow in his gut.

"I really do apologize. My friend has an awfully big mouth. Ah ha ha ha."

"I can see that," was Sanzo's trite reply. After all, Hakkai was right. Sanzo knew exactly what those threesomes were like. Gojyo always was too damn noisy. But Sanzo wouldn't mind doing it again, if they had a gag for Gojyo's big mouth. _Then again, I could think of other ways to keep that mouth busy._

"Shall we proceed then?" Hakkai asked. He leaned over and whispered something to Gojyo before turning to walk back in Sanzo's direction, but stopped after a few steps and added, "Please leave. I really won't be so gentle next time."

"No, I'm not movin' from this spot," Gojyo insisted.

Sanzo watched as Hakkai turned away from him and toward Gojyo. Sanzo couldn't see Hakkai's face, but it must have been scary because Gojyo looked like he was about to piss his pants. Once again, he couldn't help but think that Hakkai was definitely overdoing it. Sure, it was supposed to scare Gojyo a little and make him use his brain for once, but it wasn't supposed to go so far that he thought it was really happening. At least, that was what Sanzo had expected. Instead, he was getting the unpleasant suspicion that Hakkai was more than happy to let Gojyo believe that this was all real.

"Hmpf, let the bastard watch," Sanzo suggested. "I don't give a shit." The statement had the intended result of breaking Hakkai's steel gaze, but there was also the unintentional consequence of having two sets of eyes staring at him.

"Are you certain you don't mind?" Hakkai asked.

_There's that smile again,_ Sanzo thought. _The really dangerous one._ It was a clear warning that Hakkai was not pleased with his behavior. Meanwhile Gojyo was looking at him with a glimmer of suspicion again. _Oh, shit... _Sanzo thought.

"Hey, what did you say your name was again?" Gojyo asked.

_Idiot, _Sanzo thought. _Like some random guy on the street is going to give you his name just because you asked for it._ "None of your damn business."

"Then why don't you come out from under that hood, ya shitty priest?!"

_Damn it! _Sanzo cursed. He was pissed that Gojyo had the balls to call him out._ I knew the cloak wasn't going to be enough. _Normally, he could put on a good show when he had to. He had fooled Hakkai into thinking that he had really choked Sanzo to death once. But this time, Sanzo had been distracted by the situation and the circumstances. He wasn't really focusing on his role. Even so, he thought he'd done a good enough job to at least cast some doubt as to who he really was. Sanzo was sure that the illusion he'd put up over his face would take care of the rest.

He glowered at the idiot resentfully for a moment, and then burst into sadistic laughter. If someone was calling him out, then there was no way he was going to hide."Who're you calling a priest?!" he asked, stepping out into the light so that the bastard could get a better view before he slowly pulled the hood back. The expression on Gojyo's face turned from anxious anticipation to complete and utter shock. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open; it was the funniest damned thing Sanzo had ever seen. Hakkai glared and Gojyo hung his head in guilt, looking completely and utterly defeated.

_Looks like it worked, _Sanzo thought, feeling quite pleased with himself while taking a hit off his smoke. It was pretty pathetic that Gojyo didn't seem to be able to do anything but stand there feeling like shit. However, Sanzo's observation of the kappa was interrupted when Hakkai walked back over to him and finished removing his shirt. It was only then that Sanzo got the chance to see the true extent of the damage that Hakkai had suffered in his fight with the Seiten Taisei. Hakkai's entire chest was wrapped in bandages, and soaked with his own blood. A human being wouldn't have been able to survive a beating that severe.

Sanzo pulled the hood back over his head, and then looked up. Hakkai was staring right into his face, dark green eyes glimmering in the fading moonlight. There were so many things Sanzo wanted to say, but for the sake of their act, he couldn't put them into words. He wondered why Hakkai wasn't angry at him for leaving. He had almost expected any of them to snub him on sight. He wanted to know why Hakkai was doing this when he was clearly in need of a good night's rest. Sanzo took a step closer and pulled at the edge of one of the bandages, knowing that the pain and suffering that Hakkai was going through right now was really all because of him.

When he looked back into Hakaki's eyes, Sanzo noticed an expression of hurt and longing. _Why? _He wanted to ask. _Why do you want this? _Then Hakkai's gaze turned toward Gojyo, his eyes turning as his face remained still, calling attention to their audience without moving a single muscle.Sanzo frowned. _I don't want to do it. _But the determination in Hakkai's face didn't lessen, so he sighed and reluctantly began pulling the bandages off with his free hand. The soft cracks and ripping sound made by the cloth, which was covered in thick, caked-on blood, sickened Sanzo. He winced as he slowly pulled back the last layer, watching and listening as Hakkai's voice broke the silence with gasps of pain.

_You masochistic bastard. _It was almost more than Sanzo could stand. _Don't do this to yourself! _He wanted Hakkai to let it go, but at this point in time, Hakkai was past listening to reason. _Isn't it supposed to be my job to hold a grudge? _Sanzo frowned down at the raw, seeping flesh that he had bared to the cold, night air. It was a painful sight; he hurt just looking at it. Sanzo took a hit or two from his cigarette, and was lost in thought for several minutes until he looked back up into Hakkai's face. This time there was forgiveness in those eyes, and he knew that he didn't deserve it.

The moment ended when he finally realized where they were and what they were doing. There was a kappa standing nearby, and they had a show to put on. Luckily, Gojyo was also staring in shock. The unraveling of the bandages seemed to have shocked everyone, except Hakkai. Sanzo forced himself to laugh, a dark empty chuckle stripped of any real mirth. "So, you're into this shit," he said, back in character again. "Looks like you had a pretty nice body... before somebody fucked it up."

Gojyo was cursing somewhere off to the side, but the useless bastard didn't do anything. Sanzo decided that he needed to do something to get his attention. He moved closer to Hakkai, sliding his hand under his chin. "Tell me something..." Sanzo trailed off, tightening his grip on Hakkai's face and forcing him to look into his eyes. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes," Hakkai obediently replied.

"Don't talk to him like that!" Gojyo yelled, obviously infuriated.

Sanzo glanced at him, noticing that his fists were clenched and ready to fight.

Hakkai detached himself from Sanzo's hand and stood between the two. "What did I tell you about interfering, Gojyo?"

"But... but, Hakkai!"

"I told you to leave, didn't I?"

_You can't be serious, _Sanzo thought.But the tone in Hakkai's voice suggested that he was very serious.

"Don't--!" Gojyo begged.

Then Hakkai slid into his fighting stance, and everyone knew exactly how serious he was. _This is ludicrous, _Sanzo thought. _You're not seriously going to fight him. _From the look on Gojyo's face, he didn't share the opinion. The expression on his face was one of shock and pain for a moment, and then he let his head droop in defeat.

"I'm not gonna fight ya," Gojyo said, in the same casual tone that he used for everything else. Then he simply turned around and walked away. Hakkai didn't say anything in return. His stance loosened when Gojyo got several steps away, but he didn't turn back to Sanzo until Gojyo had walked out of the alley and turned down the street.

"Was that really necessary?" Sanzo demanded. _I know he's an idiot, but this is going too far. _

"Is there a problem?" Hakkai asked, a sinister smile plastered on his face.

Sanzo found himself unable to speak for a moment. There was no talking Hakkai down when he got into one of these moods. Even so, there was something very wrong about the whole self-righteous act, and he'd be damned if he didn't say anything about it. "This isn't about the job he lost or the money you need to live. This is about him sleeping around with other people, even though you already agreed to accept his behavior." _Hypocrite._

Hakkai let his head droop in shame. "What do you want me to say?" he asked, chuckling at the irony of it all. "I suppose... I really am a jealous, green-eyed monster."

"Idiot," Sanzo huffed. He knew that Hakkai was angry and hurt, but wasn't it only because he had allowed Gojyo to do things that had hurt him all along? After taking the last hit of his cigarette, Sanzo dropped it to the ground and stomped the butt out on the asphalt. "Just promise me that you'll cut the bullshit when this useless act is over."

"I'll take that into consideration," Hakkai replied. He was grinning insincerely as his hands worked at his belt, sliding it through the buckle. Sanzo looked up at him questioningly and Hakkai motioned toward the street. "He's still here."

"I know that," Sanzo replied. "But do you really want him to watch... this?"

"You said that you didn't mind him watching," Hakkai cheerfully reminded, while unzipping his pants.

"That's not what I was—!"

"Besides, we have to continue. As they say on TV, 'The show must go on!'"

"You just want to get laid," Sanzo accused.

"Do you think so?" Hakkai asked, dropping his pants down to his ankles.

Sanzo couldn't help but notice that Hakkai was already a little hard. Sanzo sighed and shook his head. There was just no reasoning with Hakkai when he was like this. "Tch... been a while, has it?"

"You could say... I wasn't feeling 'up' to it before. Ha ha ha."

"Hmpf, not funny."

Hakkai grinned and laughed as he removed his shoes, socks, and pants, folding them all and placing them in a neat little pile on the ground. "Besides, Sanzo... isn't it true that you'll be leaving town in the morning? We don't know how long it might be until the next time we see each other."

Sanzo looked over at Hakkai with a slightly confused expression on his face. _Is that all?_ How could Hakkai say things so casually after what Sanzo had done? The state that he'd left the group in was shameful. Both Goku and Hakkai had nearly died because of him, and he wasn't about to forget that fact so easily. He had run off at a critical moment, which had been negligent and selfish. Sanzo was expecting Hakkai to be angry, or at least upset. Ever since they'd first met, he'd been waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for Hakkai to ditch the happy act and replace it with something more sinister. But it didn't seem like that was going to happen.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Sanzo..." Hakkai called his name softly, and walked up until they were only a few steps apart. Sanzo refused to meet his gaze, staring down at his bloodied chest instead. "Does it bother you?"

"You should be resting."

It was exactly the sort of answer Hakkai was expecting. "Do you remember how it happened?"

"Tch..." Sanzo scowled. _As if I could forget. _

"I understand why you left." It was a gross understatement. Hakkai knew all too well what Sanzo had been going through that night. He knew the pain of watching someone die-- or in Goku's case, almost die-- right in front of you. After Goku had been injured, Sanzo had been so distracted that words couldn't seem to get through to him. Hakkai had found it necessary to smack him across the face in order to get his attention. Sanzo had been in the way, and if Hakkai hadn't smacked him, Goku really could have died. Who would've been more hurt by that than Sanzo?

Hakkai understood more than he wanted about the reason Sanzo had left, running off into the streets to kill the person who had dared to attack Goku. It wasn't completely different form the time his sister had been kidnapped. After looking at the mess that their house had been left in, Gonou's only desire had been to kill the ones responsible. Kill them all. Hakkai understood that desire all too well. It was because he understood that he expected Sanzo to be unable to handle the situation. He knew that he had to keep a cool head and take care of matters. His actions weren't out of disgust or disapproval of Sanzo's actions. After all, Sanzo had been suffering more than anyone.

The reason the group had separated was something that he understood, too. Even though he had only been barely conscious at the time, he could imagine the guilt that Sanzo had felt at what had happened because he hadn't been there. Hakkai had felt guilty before. He had always blamed himself for being unable to save Kanan sooner, before she had been impregnated with the demon's seed. But what good were those thoughts to him? He had been unable to look himself in the face back then, just as surely as Sanzo was unable to now. What kind of person would he be to rub it in? How could he possibly be angry?

Sanzo was standing nearby, speechless at what Hakkai had said. No words needed to be exchanged. He accepted the statement and all that it implied without explanation. Sanzo could feel guilty and unworthy on his own time, but he couldn't feel that way in front of Hakkai. After all, how many times had he been the one to tell Hakkai to stop blaming himself for his past sins? But the tables seemed to have turned, and now Sanzo was the one being told not to blame himself.

"If you don't mind..." Hakkai said, reaching for Sanzo's cloak and pulling it open.

"I can do it myself!" Sanzo insisted, batting the hand away. He untied the cloak and brushed it apart, then untied the sash around his waist and opened his robe as well. The belt and the zipper on his pants came off quickly enough and he pulled them down as Hakkai knelt in front of him.

Hakkai was pleased to realize that whatever Sanzo had done to his face hadn't seemed to affect the rest of his body. The smooth stomach in front of him with tight, soft skin was most definitely Sanzo's. On the other hand, Hakkai was rather upset to find that Sanzo's cock wasn't hard at all. He had spent the last few minutes stripping until he was completely naked. Didn't Sanzo find it attractive? "You're not enjoying the performance?"

Sanzo didn't see the need to reply. It was obvious enough why this didn't turn him on. Hakkai shouldn't take it personally; it wasn't as though Sanzo didn't find him attractive. But Sanzo never had been the type to get off at the sight of blood, especially when that blood was a result of his own weaknesses and failings. The wounds were deep and serious. _We shouldn't even be doing this._ Hakkai would probably only end up getting hurt, both physically and emotionally, since he was doing it for revenge. _I don't want to, _Sanzo thought. But as the sopping heat of Hakkai's mouth swallowed up his cock, he realized that he didn't have much of a choice.

The taste of Sanzo's skin was the same as always, overwhelmingly bitter with a salty tinge and just the slightest hint of sweetness. Hakkai ignored his lover's grunts of protest and the way bony fingers pushed against his head and pulled at his hair. Sanzo's reluctant behavior was a mere formality at this point, because he was more than capable of shoving Hakkai away. Instead, he was willfully submitting to Hakkai's ardent ministrations, even while firmly making his objections known. Hakkai didn't need to be told. He knew that Sanzo was unhappy with what he was doing and that he definitely wasn't in the mood. It didn't matter. Hakkai's mind was made up, and there was no turning back.

He had wanted this ever since he'd found out the reason that Gojyo had lost his job. It was because of the woman he'd flirted with. It was always because of the women, or the men. Hakkai knew that most of the time Gojyo couldn't help himself, but to do such a thing at a time like this, when they all desperately needed his cooperation, was inexcusable. _After all that I have done for you... all the sacrifices I have made, all the people I have allowed you sleep with... all I asked of you was one simple thing, and yet you still couldn't even bear to put forth the effort to try and do it? _

He had laughed at first, denying the anger that built up inside him, trying to find some semblance of self-control. But every effort that he made was still in vain, because nothing could suppress the pangs of betrayal that grew within his heart. In spite of Gojyo's past assurances, there were times when Hakkai wondered, _Do you even care at all? _He wanted to bury his sorrow in Sanzo's arms, because at least he knew that Sanzo wouldn't betray him the way Gojyo had. Hakkai wanted to be understood, and held, and comforted. He wanted the ecstasy of their physical lovemaking to numb his mind and make him forget about his inner torment for awhile.

Most of all, Hakkai wanted Gojyo to see what he was about to do. He wanted Gojyo to think that Sanzo was someone else so that he would feel the same way that Hakkai felt every time he heard some unfamiliar person moaning and screaming Gojyo's name. Hakkai wanted Gojyo to be the one who was hurt, angry, and jealous-- just this once. He wanted Gojyo to be the one who felt wounded and betrayed. After all, Hakkai had knowingly accepted that same pain so very many times before. This dark desire for vengeance was so overwhelming that it threatened to consume him. But Sanzo was there; blunt, honest, and insistent as ever. He would never allow Hakkai to slip into the night.

_You don't know how much this means to me... _Hakkai thought, moaning around the semi-erect cock in his mouth. Then again, knowing Sanzo, he probably did know. He probably knew exactly what Hakkai was feeling. After all, Sanzo had always been able to see right through his false happiness. _I need you, _Hakkai thought, as his tongue persistently coaxed Sanzo's burgeoning erection to life. _Please, I need you so much...._

Sanzo did know what was going on, and he was not happy. Hakkai's mouth was an undulating sheath of wet friction; sucking his cock up into its sweltering heat and forcing his arousal. It felt so right, but for all of the wrong reasons. It was wrong for Hakkai to be kneeling in the middle of a dark alleyway, giving him head while he had open wounds all over his upper body. It was wrong for the two of them to be doing this while pretending that Sanzo was someone else, in order to make Gojyo jealous. It was especially wrong for Sanzo to be moaning and panting and hardening in desire, fantasizing about the moment Hakkai would get down on his hands and knees so they could start to fuck.

Sanzo hated it, but he also knew that Hakkai wanted this. That was the only thing that kept Sanzo from completely refusing to participate in this revolting act of vengeance. Hakkai was wounded, lonely, and emotionally tormented by Gojyo's stupid decision. It was Hakkai's own fault, in Sanzo's opinion, for being stupid enough to trust the perverted kappa in the first place. But, he couldn't just leave Hakkai to deal with it all on his own. Even though Sanzo hated displays of affection, despised emotional moments, and was severely annoyed by any show of interest in him, he wasn't cruel enough to leave Hakkai to suffer by himself.

_Idiot, _Sanzo thought, as his hands softly pushed Hakkai's forehead away form his body. _This is only going to make it worse. _"Go get ready," he barked, back in character again. Gojyo was still watching; he could feel the kappa's presence hovering near the entrance to the alley, as though waiting for something. _I just want to get this shit over with and go to bed, _Sanzo thought, feeling weary at the very thought of all the drama that would ensue. For once, he was actually glad that he was traveling with Hazel. The last thing he wanted was to be around when Gojyo and Hakkai started fighting.

"Here," Hakkai whispered, getting Sanzo's attention before handing him a condom. Sanzo didn't say anything; he just frowned down at it. "It has to be. Otherwise he might smell your scent on my body."

Sanzo scowled. Partly because he never used condoms and he hated the idea of being forced to use one now, but also because Hakkai was being creepy. "How long are you going to keep him in the dark?"

"Long enough that he learns his lesson," Hakkai smiled.

"Tch..." Sanzo shook his head. He tore open the packet and looked down at the round, latex object as though he'd never seen one before.

"I've already prepared myself, so I want you to thrust into me as hard as you can."

That request didn't sit well with Sanzo at all. He grimaced so hard that his facial muscles were starting to get sore, and his eyes narrowed. Hakkai was smiling up at him with an elated grin on his face, bloody scars covering his body, and a cock so engorged with blood that it stuck straight up into the air. He wanted Gojyo to think that he was being abused, and to see that he was enjoying it. Sanzo found that desire malicious and obscene. _Pervert! Idiot! _he thought to himself. There were simply no words to express his level of disapproval. He had half a mind to drop the condom, pull his clothes back on, and walk away.

Then he stopped for a minute. For some reason, when Sanzo looked into the depths of those lake green eyes, he couldn't see Hakkai's smile any more. There was anguish there, and desperation. Sanzo sighed and pinched the tip of the condom, rolling the rest down over his erection. He hoped that Hakkai appreciated what he was doing, because it was never going to happen again.

The lube-covered condom was cold against his skin, warming quickly as he rolled it down over his cock. It was an uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling. The way the tight latex clung to his skin made him twitch in annoyance. He looked over to find Hakkai down on his hands and knees on the pavement, his naked ass exposed in the air. Sanzo shut his eyes tightly and groaned at the irony of it all. Once again, he couldn't help but think that this was not what he wanted. But if he left, Hakkai would persist with his stubborn, vengeful, self-destructive behavior, and Sanzo didn't want that either. With a sigh of reluctance, he knelt down behind his all-too-willing companion and abruptly plunged in.

Hakkai let out an artificial cry of shock when Sanzo's cock suddenly entered his body. If he hadn't been prepared for it, then it definitely would have hurt. But he was more than prepared, and the sudden pressure of penetration flooded his mind with carnal bliss. Hakkai's own cock twitched in anticipation as Sanzo began to move inside him, creating more mind-numbing friction. The thrusts were fairly slow and deliberate, which was fine at first, but Hakkai soon found his body aching for something faster and more intense. "Stop! Don't-- please!" he cried, knowing that Sanzo would understand the reverse implication in light of their current situation.

"Tch..." Sanzo scowled as the breath whistled past his teeth. He understood the request immediately, but wasn't sure he wanted to fulfill it. _You want more? _Up close he could clearly see the raw, bloody marks scraping across Hakkai's back. They painted his flesh in angry crimson streaks that seeped with viscous plasma, glistening in the moonlight. _We shouldn't be doing this... _Sanzo thought, even as acknowledged to himself that his lover didn't seem to be hurting. _We shouldn't do it that vigorously. _But he knew that Hakkai liked getting fucked, and he wanted it rough and hard. He always liked it that way. Sanzo wanted to refuse to quicken the pace. But Hakkai had asked for it, and Sanzo usually went along with his decisions, even when they didn't make any sense.

Sanzo wanted to hold back, but the condom was numbing his sensitivity. He knew he wouldn't be able to get anywhere thrusting slowly, and they shouldn't stay out in the street too long. So he went a little faster, just enough so that some sensation reached his wanton cock. The abrasive texture of the ground underneath him wore against his knees through the fabric of his pants, making his joints ache. He could only imagine how it felt to Hakkai, who didn't have anything between the rough, gravely cement and the bare skin of his hands and knees. Still, it wasn't enough. Sanzo knew he would have to thrust harder if he ever expected to get off.

"Brace yourself," he warned, slamming into Hakkai's ass.

This time Hakkai cried out in genuine ecstasy. _Finally... _he thought, groaning and panting for air as Sanzo's cock jabbed into his prostate over and over again. _Oh, yes. _This was what he wanted, what he had waited and hoped and yearned for. Sanzo's movements were so rough and insistent, leaving no room for thought as it seared his mind with overwhelming pleasure, just as Sanzo's lectures left no room for doubt or torment as they drove away his self-imposed guilt. Hakkai couldn't blame himself while in this erotic embrace. Sanzo simply wouldn't allow it. _More, more... _Hakkai thought, spreading his legs wider and bracing himself against the sudden intense impact of those hips against his ass.

"Yes, yes..." he panted softly. Hakkai had lost the presence of mind to continue his unwilling act, and spoke his mind instead. The pressure that had been steadily building up inside his body felt as though it were about to burst. He tried to hold it back as long as he could, moaning desperately as Sanzo's cock rubbed his prostate over and over. It was too much. The sharp, insistent pangs of pleasure broke his control and his muscles tightened and spasmed as his seed spilled down to the ground underneath him. Hakkai's mind was floating in a sea of ecstasy and he could barely put forth the effort to keep his limbs in place against the force of the body which continued to thrust into him.

Sanzo felt as though the whole event was an exercise in futility. He longed to feel the soft, torrid caress of Hakkai's flesh against his skin. Instead there was only soggy latex, heated by the fervor of the tight hole surrounding it, but lacking its enticing, silken caress. _How the hell can Gojyo put up with this? _he wondered. After all, Gojyo used those things every time he ever had sex with anyone. He had to, because he was a whore who slept with more people than he could count. But Sanzo still didn't understand how the kappa dealt with it. _What's the point in doing it if you can't feel anything? _

He was oblivious to the fact that Hakkai had come, unable to feel much aside from a vague warmth and tightness through the annoying latex sheath. It wasn't until the smell of hot semen pouring over cold concrete reached his nose that he realized it had happened. Sanzo felt a twinge of regret at having continued after his lover had already finished; maybe now that Hakkai was sated, he would be willing to stop. But somehow, Sanzo doubted that. If he knew anything about Hakkai, then he wouldn't mind prolonging their encounter. In fact, he was probably enjoying it.

For the first time that night, Hakkai could feel his body start to weaken. The physical exertion was too much in his condition, and his arms began to tremble. It took a concentrated effort just to keep them from collapsing underneath him. The feel of Sanzo moving inside him was still incredible, made even more intense by his own orgasm and the way his muscles tightened. Hakkai's head felt a bit dizzy and his lungs were breathless, but his cock was twitching in time with Sanzo's thrusts, slowly hardening back to its previous state. Time passed and Hakkai struggled to keep his body from failing as Sanzo's cock continued to plunge into his ass.

It occurred to Hakkai that Sanzo had a formidable amount of stamina under normal circumstances, and the condom would probably make it even more difficult to please him than it normally was. At the same time, Hakkai's body couldn't take much more punishment. He could already feel the pressure building up inside of him again. Each thrust carried him closer to the point of his climax. He held back as long as he could, but Sanzo's continued thrusts finally pushed him over the edge. He closed his eyes and cried out while his body convulsed, squeezing out every last drop of fluid.

After that, Hakkai's arms were shaking so violently that he could barely control them. His elbows felt as though they'd buckle any minute, and his entire body was trembling with strain. Even though he had insisted that he was more than capable of handling this interaction, his body was betraying him. Hakkai had gotten used the pain, perhaps to the point of complacency. After all, his torso had been slashed open almost a week ago. Still, his body had been so weak that his wounds had healed little in that time. He was completely drained of energy. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to ask Sanzo to stop.

Hakkai wanted Sanzo to keep going until he was sated. After forcing Sanzo to participate in a dramatic scheme that he absolutely despised, Hakkai wouldn't forgive himself if his body gave out before he was able to satisfy his lover. He felt that he owed Sanzo something, at the very least, for all of his selflessness. The erotic sensation of Sanzo's cock as it thrust into his body over and over again was so pleasurable that he never wanted it to end. In spite of Hakkai's resolve to keep going, his arms collapsed. The weight of his upper body came crashing down and he was just barely able to force his head into his arms instead of scraping against the concrete.


End file.
